Is Housefull 5 a hit or a flop? As Akshay Kumar film crosses ₹200 crore, we decode its box office performance

Hindustan Times

19 hours ago

Akshay Kumar-led ensemble comedy Housefull 5 has capitalised on a strong start at the box office to end its first week within touching distance of ₹200 crore globally. The film, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, defied middling reviews and criticism of sexism in the plot, to do well at the box office. But despite its high collections, Housefull 5's exorbitant budget raises some doubts about its profitability. (Also read: Housefull 5 box office collection day 6: Akshay Kumar film marches on, beats Salman's Sikandar lifetime in under a week)
Housefull 5 has earned ₹127 crore net in India (and ₹152 crore gross) in its first seven days at the box office. This makes it the third highest grossing Hindi film of the year. Add to it the estimated $5 million ( ₹42 crore) from overseas, and Housefull 5's worldwide total stands in excess of ₹195 crore. Trade pundits say that the film will cross the ₹200-crore mark globally by Friday afternoon. This makes it the fourth Bollywood film to do so in 2025, after Chhaava, Sikandar, and Raid 2.
A ₹200-crore collection means Housefull 5 is already among Akshay Kumar's highest-grossing Hindi films. Naturally, many want to label it a success. However, what makes Housefull 5 different from many of Akshay's previous films is its scale. The film features 34 other actors of note apart from Akshay, including big names like Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, and Jackie Shroff. This, along with the film's expensive shoot on board a luxury cruise, has made it the most expensive comedy film made in India with a reported budget of ₹240 crore.
Trade insiders tell HT that the film needs to cross that mark in its net collection or go past ₹300 crore worldwide to be labelled a clean hit. The producers are already in the clear monetarily, sources say, due to the multi-crore sales of satellite, music, and digital rights. But the distributors will hope that Housefull 5 can net them some profit too. The verdict on Housefull 5 is awaited for now. It looks likely that it may recover most of its investment. But, it all boils down to how many legs it has.
Housefull 5 is the story of a murder on a cruise ship. A wealthy billionaire (Ranjeet) dies and leaves his wealth to his successor, Jolly. The twist is that there are three Jollys on the cruise - Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan. A doctor who can unravel the real Jolly's identity is murdered. So immediately, the three and their girlfriends (Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, and Nargis Fakhri) are all suspects in the murder. The film has been released with two endings.