Housefull 3
Housefull 3 is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film co-written and directed by Sajid-Farhad, serving as the third installment in the Housefull franchise produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.[1][2] The film features Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh in lead roles as three suitors who pretend to be physically impaired to gain approval from a superstitious London-based businessman, played by Boman Irani, for marrying his three daughters portrayed by Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, and Lisa Haydon.[1][3] Released theatrically on 3 June 2016, it centers on slapstick humor involving mistaken identities, curses, and chaotic pursuits of romance.[1] The production drew from ensemble comedy tropes, with Kumar, Bachchan, and Deshmukh reprising their franchise dynamic of bumbling protagonists entangled in farcical mishaps, supported by comedic elements like feigned disabilities and jewel heists.[2] Critically, it received mixed to negative reviews for relying on crude, repetitive gags and perceived insensitivity toward disability and racial stereotypes, earning a 4.9/10 rating on IMDb and 23% on Rotten Tomatoes based on limited aggregated scores.[1][4] Despite this, Housefull 3 achieved commercial success, collecting approximately ₹108 crore nett in India and over ₹185 crore worldwide, driven by strong opening weekend performance and appeal to mass audiences seeking light-hearted escapism.[5][6] Notable pre-release controversies included a police complaint and FIR filed by writer-lyricist Farooq Barelvi accusing the filmmakers of plagiarizing his script without credit, alongside Central Board of Film Certification demands for cuts to vulgar language and double entendres in dialogues and songs.[7][8] These issues highlighted ongoing debates in Bollywood about originality and content standards, though they did not impede the film's box office trajectory.[9]
Production
Development
Housefull 3 was developed as the third entry in the Housefull comedy franchise, building on the box-office successes of the initial films released in 2010 and 2012, both produced by Sajid Nadiadwala through his company Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.[10] The project's formal announcement came on September 18, 2014, via a partnership between Nadiadwala and Eros International, positioning it as an amplified continuation designed for broader commercial appeal with heightened comedic elements.[11] The screenplay and dialogues were crafted by the directorial duo Sajid-Farhad, who shifted from prior writing contributions to the franchise—such as dialogues for Housefull 2—to helm the film, preserving the series' core style of interlocking character-driven humor amid ensemble mishaps.[12] By December 2014, Nadiadwala stated that the script was finalized, emphasizing an expansion of the multi-protagonist format to three male leads navigating intensified chaotic scenarios tied to family and adversarial conflicts, aimed at sustaining the franchise's entertainment-driven formula.[13] Pre-production planning focused on logistical preparations for principal photography, set to commence in mid-2015, to capitalize on the established audience draw while introducing narrative escalations for viability.[14]Casting
Akshay Kumar, who headlined the first two Housefull films, was confirmed as a lead actor, paired with franchise regular Riteish Deshmukh and newcomer Abhishek Bachchan to form a triple-lead male ensemble aimed at amplifying the series' comedic chaos and commercial viability through combined star power.[15][16] This configuration was first rumored in April 2014 and officially locked by August 2015, leveraging Kumar's action-comedy draw, Deshmukh's established chemistry from prior installments, and Bachchan's appeal as a second-generation star to target broad audience segments.[16] The female leads—Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, and Lisa Haydon—were selected in August 2015 to inject glamour, dance sequences, and light-hearted romantic subplots, aligning with the franchise's formula of pairing high-profile actresses with physical comedy and item numbers for mass-market allure.[16] Fernandez, known from Kick (2014), brought international flair; Fakhri added modeling pedigree from Rockstar (2011); and Haydon contributed to the trio's visual and performative synergy.[17] Veteran supporting actors Boman Irani and Jackie Shroff rounded out the ensemble for comic authority and patriarchal roles, their involvement highlighted in promotional contexts by April 2016 to evoke reliable humor from Irani's 3 Idiots (2009) archetype and Shroff's rugged persona, ensuring the film's retention of the series' over-the-top, family-oriented farce.[17] This casting strategy, building on early 2015 principal announcements, prioritized a bloated roster of recognizable names to sustain the franchise's reputation for chaotic, star-driven entertainment without deviating from proven box-office drivers.[18]Filming
Principal photography for Housefull 3 commenced on August 17, 2015, in London, United Kingdom, where the cast including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan began shooting sequences leveraging the city's urban and residential settings for chase scenes and comedic family interactions.[19] A major portion of the film was filmed in London, including at a bungalow and the Mansion Bloomsbury, emphasizing practical outdoor and interior locations to capture the high-energy action-comedy elements within an efficient schedule.[20][21] Filming extended to additional locations such as Marlow in Buckinghamshire and Bournemouth in Dorset, England, for outdoor shots, before shifting to New Delhi, India, for the concluding phases.[22] In New Delhi, Riteish Deshmukh participated in the final two days of shooting in April 2016, incorporating local urban backdrops to wrap principal photography on April 23, 2016.[23] The production operated on an estimated budget of ₹85 crore, with resources directed toward logistical coordination across international sites and post-production elements to support the film's rapid-paced comedic and action sequences.[6] This timeline from mid-2015 to early 2016 enabled the completion of high-energy shoots without reported major delays, relying on on-location practicality over extensive studio builds.[19]Plot
Summary
Housefull 3 centers on three daughters of the London-based mafia don Urja Nagrik (portrayed by Jackie Shroff), who face strict barriers to marriage imposed by familial and superstitious constraints. Their suitors—played by Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh—deceive the protective guardian figure by pretending to suffer from disabilities, including blindness, muteness, and paralysis, to gain acceptance and proximity.[24][2]
The narrative employs recurring motifs of mistaken identities, layered lies, and slapstick mishaps as the protagonists entangle themselves in escalating deceptions within Nagrik's underworld-influenced environment. Structured across three acts within a 140-minute runtime, the film initiates with relational setups and initial cons in London, builds through compounding comedic errors and alliances, and resolves via chaotic revelations and confrontations.[1][25]
Cast
Principal cast
The principal cast of Housefull 3 (2016) features a ensemble of Bollywood actors in lead and supporting roles, centered on three male protagonists and their romantic interests, alongside key antagonistic figures. Akshay Kumar portrays Sanket "Sandy" Sehgal, also known as "Sundi Indian," a central character in the film's comedic narrative.[2] Abhishek Bachchan plays Bhaskar "Bunty" Mittal, while Riteish Deshmukh enacts Tukaram "Teddy" Chaugule, forming the trio of bumbling heroes whose misadventures drive the plot.[2][26] The female leads include Jacqueline Fernandez as Ganga, Nargis Fakhri as Saraswati, and Lisa Haydon as Jamuna, depicted as the three daughters of a wealthy patriarch whose relationships with the protagonists create central conflicts.[27][28] Jackie Shroff appears as Urja Nagre, the primary antagonist opposing the unions.[26] Supporting roles are filled by Boman Irani as Batuk Patel, the father of the three daughters, and Chunky Pandey in a comedic antagonistic part.[29][30]| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Akshay Kumar | Sanket "Sandy" Sehgal / "Sundi Indian" |
| Abhishek Bachchan | Bhaskar "Bunty" Mittal |
| Riteish Deshmukh | Tukaram "Teddy" Chaugule |
| Jacqueline Fernandez | Ganga |
| Nargis Fakhri | Saraswati |
| Lisa Haydon | Jamuna |
| Jackie Shroff | Urja Nagre |
| Boman Irani | Batuk Patel |
Soundtrack
Composition and tracks
The soundtrack for Housefull 3 was composed by a collaborative team including Sohail Sen, Sharib-Toshi, Mika Singh, Tanishk Bagchi, and Millind Gaba, reflecting the franchise's tradition of ensemble music production for comedic films. Released digitally by T-Series on May 9, 2016—approximately three weeks before the film's June 3 premiere—the album features four principal tracks engineered for integration into the narrative's dance sequences and humorous interludes, prioritizing high-energy beats and repetitive hooks to amplify the slapstick and romantic elements. Lyrics, credited to writers such as Sameer Sen, Farhad-Sajid, and Danish Sabri, employ straightforward, colloquial phrasing aimed at mass audience engagement rather than poetic depth, as evidenced by the emphasis on party-oriented refrains in tracks like "Taang Uthake."[32][33][34] These songs serve primarily as situational cues within the film's plot, underscoring comedic misunderstandings and flirtatious encounters through choreography-friendly compositions; for instance, upbeat percussion and ensemble vocals facilitate group dance routines that punctuate the protagonists' chaotic pursuits. While the arrangements draw from established Bollywood pop templates—featuring electronic drops and Punjabi influences for accessibility—independent reviews noted a lack of innovation, with one analysis describing the output as "tailor-made for chart radio" but derivative of prior franchise hits. Empirical indicators of appeal include streaming metrics and promotional tie-ins, where tracks were teased via music videos to build hype.[35][36]| Track Title | Composer(s) | Primary Singers | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyar Ki | Sharib-Toshi | Nakash Aziz, Divya Kumar, Anmol Malik, Earl Edgar | 3:47 | Incorporates rap for romantic comedy; lyrics by Manoj Yadav, Farhad-Sajid, Danish Sabri.[37][34] |
| Taang Uthake | Sohail Sen | Mika Singh, Neeti Mohan, Mamta Sharma, Hrishikesh Chury | ~3:00 | Party anthem with vulgar humor in hooks; lyrics by Sameer Sen; peaked on multiple Indian music charts post-release.[38][33][39] |
| Malamaal | Mika Singh, Millind Gaba | Mika Singh, Akira, Miss Pooja, Kuwar Virk | ~4:00 | Celebratory bhangra fusion for wealth-themed gags; emphasized mass-appeal rhythms.[40][41] |
| Fake Ishq | Tanishk Bagchi | Various (ensemble) | ~3:00 | Satirical take on faux romance; supports film's deception-driven humor via playful melodies.[32][40] |