Indian comedy film franchise Housefull starring Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh as the lead cast has enjoyed much popularity over the last few years. With three previous successful installments Housefull 1, 2 and 3, the makers are now all geared up for another film- Housefull 4. The three films have enjoyed massive success at the box office despite not receiving great reviews from critics. It doesn’t matter that these films do not have the critical acclaim to match their box office collections, they always manage to attract a massive crowd to the theatres. With the franchise enjoying such popularity, we try decoding what makes it so popular in spite of it being a consistent brainless comedy!
To begin with, mass entertainers are mostly a safe bet when it comes to movies and with its entertaining factor, it pulls in crowds of all ages. Housefull is one such family entertainer which was enjoyed by kids and adults alike so obviously the box office figures were good. While the films did receive a bit of criticism by a few for having sexist and racist one-liners, people enjoyed the film as it was lighthearted and didn’t require people to put a lot of efforts in understanding the film. There are also a few other factors that decide the popularity of a franchise, so let’s consider a few points and go through them one at a time.
Box-Office Collections
It is often observed that some of the highest-earning movies of all time at the box office are also the most hated by critics. That’s not exactly true in this case, however, the films did receive mixed to negative reviews from critics. While a few found the humour of the film lame, some felt that there were genuinely a few hilarious moments in the film. However, despite the review of the critics, the film was a commercial hit. Housefull 1 collected Rs 165 crore overall and was declared hit by Box Office India. Housefull 2 made Rs 202 crore nett, while Housefull 3 had a worldwide collection of Rs 195 crore. With such huge numbers of the previous three installments, people are already predicting big things for Housefull 4. The franchise also ends up having a loyal audience who love watching a slapstick comedy.
Recurring Star Cast
Not many actors do mass entertainers as well as Akshay Kumar and Housefull franchise just proves it! Watching him in Housefull is refreshing after seeing him in some serious roles. He is very convincing as Aarush in all three films and while the storyline of the franchise may not always be the best, Akshay Kumar’s performance along with his best friend Bob played by Riteish Deshmukh wins hearts! The recurring star cast in all three films- Akshay Kumar as Aarav, Riteish Deshmukh as Bob, Boman Irani as Batook Patel and Chunky Panday as Aakhri Pasta- keeps the franchise alive.
Female Leads
While the female leads in the film keep changing with every movie, several famous and talented actresses right from Bipasha Basu to Deepika Padukone to Jacqueline Fernandes and now Kriti Sanon have attached themselves to the franchise.
Songs
The soundtrack of the three Housefull films have been met with positive reviews and some of their most popular songs include Papa Toh Band Bajaaye, Anarkali Disco Chali, Papa Jag Jaayega, Dhanno, Oh Girl You’re Mine. The peppy songs are still etched into our minds and love it or hate it, we definitely couldn’t get the music out of our heads.
Locations
The films have been shot at several locations and made for some stunning visuals! Like the storyline or not, you can’t deny that the visuals were an absolute treat!
Coming to Housefull 4, the film will release this Diwali and will once again star Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh. The film also stars Kriti Sanon, Bobby Deol, Kriti Kharbanda, Pooja Hegde and others.
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