Housefull
wogma rating: Watch but no rush (?)
We are happy. We are just a bunch of 'mango' people who are happy to be in a theater after a long hiatus. So happy are we that there is at least something to watch, to draw us to the halls, that we don't mind the "open head; keep brain aside in safety; close head; watch film" drill. Yeah-yeah-yeah the comedy is not bad, or let's just say it's better than what one would expect from this team. And it’s the sight of an oasis in a desert. And thirsty we were.
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Housefull - Preview
NOT A REVIEW - Just wondering to see if slapstick can bring a smile…
The promo promises realization of every man's dream - one husband, three wives.
That is quite what it takes to interest the audience according to trade analyst, Amod
Mehra. And that is exactly what the director-producer duo is aiming at.
Unlike certain film-makers who make films for themselves rather than an audience, I make films from an audience point of view … I promise you that the words “paisa vasool” will be in full effect when you watch ‘Housefull’
While, director, Sajid Khan has no pretense about making a film that appeals to a particular niche, producer Sajid Nadiadwala, only wants to add to the glamor quotient.
How do we reinvent ourselves and do something that will be better than Heyy Babyy in all aspects? As a producer I have made sure that the cast, canvas and music is far bigger than the audience’s expectation … the film has been shot with the entire cast over four countries England, Italy, Hong Kong and India.
Nice trick! The lower you set your standards, the easier it is to achieve your goal. Alright-alright, there were enough people who liked Heyy Babyy, doesn't matter much, that a part of the audience …
ahem … doesn't think of that as paisa vasool.
Yet, for the audience who don't care too much for this variety of entertainment there is hope because Sajid Khan has attributed his movie-making inspiration to seven of his favorite directors.
The lucky seven are Manmohan Desai, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, K. Raghvendra Rao, K. Bappaiah, Narendra Bedi, Prakash Mehra and Blake Edwards.
Just in case you missed it, the veteran directors are…lucky…that Sajid thought of them. Geez!
Anyway, after about 2 hours of browsing for buzz around this upcoming film, you figure that THE most inviting aspect of the film is the skimpily-clad, killer-lady trio - Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, and Jiah Khan. Interestingly though, the straight women in the house have something to look forward too! Sajid Khan wouldn't let half his audience go without 'entertainment' now, would he?
I told them all two months in advance that I would be needing them to show skin, including Ritesh Deshmukh! So they could do all the pushups they wanted … men are all topless I've made each one of them strip, and the lovely ladies are in bikinis.
Now, whether or not a shirtless Ritesh Deshmukh is your idea of recreation, is your problem. Any which way, the cast took their director's word seriously enough to not indulge in Italian delicacies.
Worry not, not all energies have been spent on cosmetics. Ritesh has a supposedly super hilarious tongue-twister which he prepared for relentlessly."What on earth is Ritesh babbling about?" is the first question that pops after you watch this trailer. Thankfully a Lara Dutta interview comes to the rescue. The question is," Who are you married to in the film?"
This film is complete confusion! So I am married to Riteish, but am also married to Akshay. But I am also Akshay's sister. But I am also Riteish's sister. I am Boman's daughter, but I am also Boman's daughter in law!
Rest assured, the lady promises a tight screenplay.
So if you are not following because of all the confusion, you might lose the plot somewhere.
With 6 lead characters, it's always interesting to see who gets what kind of screen space. The supposed budget of Rs. 100 crore, clearly identifies Akshay Kumar as the main lead. Looks like the ladies, however, have divided the labor between themselves.
Deepika is the main female romantic lead. She has most of the songs and romantic scenes with Akshay Kumar. Lara has a stronger role in terms of the dialogue and the comic sequences.
.
Which is all fine, till I read the next paragraph,
Housefull is a comedy of errors apparently inspired by Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Chupke Chupke about a house filled with characters coming and going and creating a commotion of mistaken identity.
Oh, the horror! Chupke Chupke is my favorite film! Calling the director, "lucky" is one thing but claiming to be like one of his best works…is…heartbreaking.
Especially, when the selling points are slapstick - not regular slapping, slapping by a monkey no less! And item numbers, of course, by Mallaika Arora, Jacquline Fernandes, and maybe even Aishwarya Rai.
Despite all these reservations against this brand of entertainment, despite the anxiety, the ardent cine-lover in me, is hopeful. I remember the subtle humor in the second half of Heyy Babyy. Also co-writer Milap Zaveri is capable of writing decent comedy. Also the music, the mainstay of this genre, has received some decent reviews.
Housefull is slated for release on 30th April, 2010. Enjoy the show and let us know what you think the film is going to be like. Till then, gear up with some of these videos.
- meeta, a part of the audience
8.30 AM. 600-seater theater. Housefull. Ok-ok almost housefull, but it was mandatory to use the name, right? So, now that we are done with that, let me tell you, I'm not kidding. The theater had barely 10-15 vacant seats. And the other 585-590 seats were laughing/hooting/whistling/clapping - basically being happy they are in a theater and there is something half-half-decent on the screen.
Of course, there was this one person who was just thoroughly relishing the fact that people around her were completely involved in the chaos and enjoying the experience to the hilt - yours truly. I'm not saying I didn't like the film at all, but I couldn't call the film engrossing or 100% entertaining. It was just about alright. I laughed really hard a few times. But, not as much on a mind-blowing, insides-rattling joke as I did due to the silliness of it all. I mean what else can you laugh at when people suffer an electronic shock and that, moves on to become a dance.
The nutty absurdity is not restricted to one-off incidents. While the first half introduces characters and builds relationships, the second half is spent in rewiring all the connections. Whose wife is whose sister is whose daughter is whose wife…or something like that. Yeah, such comedy of errors and mistaken identities have potential for loads of laughs. Housefull is neither devoid of them, nor…well, full of them.
Of course, it's the standard loud, is almost a tolerable variety of over-the-top and it defies logic at every chance it's given. Out-of-job characters or characters with presumably low-paying jobs spend money like they are Midas. Other characters who are supposedly rich, make you wonder how such low-IQ people could get so far.
Oops, look at me getting caught up in trivialities. The idea is to have fun, and well it is not a complete loss on that count. Had the performances been a little more subtle and a little more consistent, it could have easily been a fun ride through the run time. But, as usual, while the dialogues are on a consistent roll, the events are rather sporadic. Similarly, while the comic timing of most of the actors is brilliant, the individual scenes are not necessarily strong enough.
The three men do their usual thing. National award winner Arjun Rampal, in his bit role, looks very uncomfortable trying his shot at comedy. The women on the other hand look good, alternate between shrieking and sort-of superficially expressing a sad/romantic emotion. I love the way Deepika Padukone carries herself in the skimpiest of clothes. Yep! There's loads and loads of that. And those who are going there for Jiah Khan, well, bother not. She barely has a cameo.
I know it's been a famine of big-profile releases. I know you want to rush to the theater given the slightest excuse. But though it has those mindless, silly laughs, I don't have the heart to recommend that you spend money and time on what it takes for a family to go to the theaters. Time spent on it when it's out on TV/DVD though might be well worth it.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by GZP, BollyPlus : ...Lara Dutta and Deepika both look lovely and act well. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...The actors are top notch and so are their performances. Wish the script would've been equally super.... full review
Thumbs up, by Filmi Girl, Filmi Girl : ...Akshay seemed a bit tired at times but he gamely danced, climbed stuff, and dishoom-ed a monkey ... full review
Thumbs up, by Making Things Happen, Gomolo.in : ...The female leads were wasted... full review
Thumbs up, by Jaya Biswas, IBN Live : ...Housefull comes as a breath of fresh air after a series of below average films that released this season... full review
Thumbs up, Indicine : ...Jiah Khan’s character doesn’t work and is infact one of the reasons why the pace slackens considerably in the first half.... full review
Thumbs up, by Sarita Tanwar, MiD DAY : ...The Akshay-Riteish chemistry is brilliant ... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Lara, Riteish and Boman...The comic timing and chemistry between the trio is excellent. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...sometimes the actors seem to enjoy the comedy of energetic error more than we do.... full review
Thumbs up, by Sampurn, real bollywoood : ...Akshay Kumar is back in terrific form, evoking huge laughter with his poker faced humour. ... full review
Thumbs up, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...Post-interval the movie does picks up. ... full review
Thumbs up, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Akshay Kumar’s loser act, wherein he rarely laughs but manages to create a hilarious situation for the audiences to tickle their funny bone, is certainly a winner in the film.... full review
Thumbs up, The Friday Freak : ...t has the mistaken identities, taken on identities, white lies, danger, sexual innuendo, and of course, pots full of laughter.... full review
Thumbs up, by Fakir Hassen, TONIGHT : ...the last quarter of the film is a riot that will leave everyone in the cinema with a bellyache from laughing... full review
Thumbs up, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...With his deadpan expressions and slapstick humour, Akshay once again proves that he is simply the best when it comes to comedies.... full review
So-So, by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review : ...The story is about pretences, and how in the name of saving one's face and reputation, lies lead to bigger lies, stemming from wanting to impress family members... full review
So-So, by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...it’s all about wives, real or fake... full review
So-So, by Abhijit Ranade, MH-31 Fun Unlimited : ...Though the storyline is very clichéd and the jokes all predictable, some parts in the film really tickle your funny bone.... full review
So-So, by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com : ...The girls have nothing much to show except skin.... full review
So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...Nevertheless, it makes you laugh, provided you don't go looking for artistry and intelligence. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, AOL INDIA : ...Jiah Khan who is seen for the first time since ‘Ghajini’ is yet to get her dialogues right.... full review
Thumbs down, by Beth, Beth Loves Bollywood : ...what should we make of Heyy Baby and Housefull being set elsewhere than India?... full review
Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...our filmmakers confuse no-brainer entertainment with no-brainer filmmaking... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...not able to hold the viewer consistently.... full review
Thumbs down, by Steven Baker, Bolly Spice : ...a brief moment of hoopla and hilarity is ruined by trying to cut corners on a supposed blow the budget release... full review
Thumbs down, by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online : ...Tasteless racist jokes (on Gujaratis, Italians, Blacks etc.)... full review
Thumbs down, by Aniruddha Guha, DNA : ...The film’s posters, part of an obnoxiously hyperactive marketing campaign, said ‘The Heyy Baby Team Reloads’. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ... The theme is "confusion", as though there never is another premise for comedy.... full review
Thumbs down, by Martin D'Souza, Glamsham.com : ... The gags are situational and hilarious at times. On other occasions, they do draaaaaaag! ... full review
Thumbs down, Gyanguru : ...Handling madcap comedies isn’t easy and excess of humour can lead to a disaster and that’s what the case with Housefull. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...Merely a gag-order is in motion here: one shaggy dog story follows another; sometimes related, many a times not. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...For director Sajid Khan, an otherwise intelligent individual, three women rising out of the water wearing itsy bitsy bikinis may be ultimate heaven, but there's only so much the physical can do for you.... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...Shankar Ehsaan Loy come up with a peppy and foot-tapping musical score.... full review
Thumbs down, by Kshitij Mehta, J.A.M : ...So we all know that one has to put aside logic while watching a film of this kind, but to just take the audience for granted & go on with stupid shenanigans in the name of humour is just plain criminal. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...In my book, Nadiadwala is the king of bad trash... full review
Thumbs down, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...Akshay Kumar, is exhaustingly inconsistent. Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_review.aspx?lang=hindi&id=510&moviename=Review%3A+Housefull+&cp... full review
Thumbs down, by filmbear, Pacem In Terris : ...There is nothing right with the film despite it having not one original idea.... full review
Thumbs down, by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema : ...Afflicted perhaps by delusions of grandeur, Khan actually believes he is an entertainer! ... full review
Thumbs down, by Himanshu Bhutani, Passion for Cinema : ... In a comedy film, I would think entertainment means laughter and “loads of” it. The director promised it, but was it delivered? I think not. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...serving us essentially a Priyadarshan farce, only replacing Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani with people who look good in bikinis. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...Khan claims this film is a tribute to directors like Manmohan Desai and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, but I cannot think of a worse way to pay tribute... full review
Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...All the characters seem to exist in a void, where they speak and think in the same manner. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ...all gloss, no substance.... full review
Thumbs down, by Pratim D Gupta, The Telegraph : ...Not just Boman’s Gujarati Pappa, the rest of your cast and crew are sleepwalking too... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: Generic slapsticky slapping around.
- Language: more or less clean, with a couple innuendoes here and there.
- Nudity & Sexual content: There are a couple of 'bedroom' scenes and loads of skin show.
- Concept: That of lies being too overwhelming to sustain.
- General Look and Feel: Light and fun.
![[Facebook page of Housefull]](/static/images/icons/facebook_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Wikipedia page of Housefull]](/static/images/icons/wiki_small.png){kind=icon}
![[IMDB Page of Housefull]](/static/images/icons/imdb_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Sajid Khan twitter account]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
Comments (35)
Well, Sumit, like I said, it is a tad better than regular slapstick. But then again, I'm glad I helped you stick to your books :P
Arjun Rampal is easily the best guy suited for comedy. After all he single handedly made a joke of the entire industry by becoming a National Award winning guy.
Am expecting the movie to be as charming as a migraine, par kya kare aur kuch hai hi nahi dekhne key liye :(
@Sudhir That's the thing. And it does have a couple of laughs. But only so much you can tolerate in the name of not having anything else to do :P
@mayur oh well...i laughed a bit and it was a little better than the standard slapstick
Wow...you laughed a couple of times and it becomes watchable. What about the other 2 hours 28 minutes of the movie? Guess you were having fun watching the others laugh. Cuz. that was the only way I could have a semblance of a smile on my face, coming out. :D
Actually, I've presented a perspective on the "leave your brains home" argument in my review. And I didn't like it a bit.
I meant I didn't like the movie^^^
Yeah, the movie is watchable simply because of the dearth of even half-decent Hindi movies released recently. It is no more than what you expect, but somehow it still manages to make you laugh a few times. And yes, Deepika looks amazing. :)
@Sumit waiting to know what you thought...
@moviebhakt yeah...more or less...difficult to be as succesful as him though
@Saurabh yeah...laughed hard at the silliness in a few places, so...
Dear @!@#$%^, Uhh...i can't believe I'm using this as my defense...i liked 'housefull' better than 'hangover'
@bollyfan well...i give movie credit for what i think it's aiming to do and whether it succeeded in that perceived aim for me, which is the same way each one of us decides whether or not we liked a film. So, yes, I liked it better than you.
@Rahul THANK YOU! that's what i was trying to say...
@Rahul & Meetu : Could the success of the film be ascribed to the timing more than anything else? The last few weeks have seen some terrible films come out due to the IPL & people were starved. The film has enough star power to draw the initial crowds...and the verdict from the masses is euphoric. The one thing nobody realises is that the verdict is relative to recent films and that matters a lot when it comes to guaging the mettle of a film.
@Meetu : Not very sure if you too succumbed to the same relativity conundrum here. Would you have rated Housefull similarly had it followed films of a better quality than it actually did?
@Bollyfan: Yeah absolutely. In retrospect there is really nothing in the movie, but then most insane comedies are supposed to have nothing. There was nothing in "The Hangover" either - which is supposed to be brilliant and all that.
Sadly, there is no masala movie releasing till Kites hits the floor on the 21st of May - I expect Housefull to mostly live up to its name till then. Maybe Badmaash Company can sneak up and deliver something - sadly YRF doesn't have a stellar record in recent times (in terms of market revenue).
I have heard for this movie that its too much comedy and must watch movie. Unfortunately I was not able to get time for this in weekends but sure would look at it within couple of days.
@Rahul : There's a major difference between Hangover & Housefull...though let me state that I'm not a big fan of the former either. In Hangover, the characters were consistent...in Housefull they weren't. Inconsistent characterisation, with characters changing to suit the situation in the film is the prime hallmark of dishonest filmmaking, IMO. How can the chief of the Indian Military Intelligence be such an easy target of schoolboy pranks? How can Lara Dutta's character hate Akki's intrusion one moment and then become a mother figure for him the very next? How can Akki fumble so badly with a vaccuum cleaner one moment and then redo the house so nicely in a matter of a few hours in the very next sequence? And all these points go on to build the plot of the film. That's what I hated about Housefull the most...the dishonesty in characterisation. And each "funny" moment of the film was just built on these lies.
The biggest problem is that the success of Housefull will spur several other filmmakers to make such tripe. The excuse of producers that Indian audiences just want this kind of stuff will be further strengthened. Hmmm...but to think about it, don't they?
By the way, Sajid Khan has gone on record saying that the climax of Housefull will do to comedies what Matrix did for action films. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that.
@Bollyfan:
I am not Comparing Hangover and Housefull per se - I am merely clubbing them together as films which club together an improbable chain of events. That said, I agree with you that in Hangover, the director stays true to the characters while the same can definitely not be said of Housefull. If you ask Taran Adarsh he would tell you that you are supposed to leave your brains at home for films of this kind ... I am prepared to leave my senses at home but if the director takes liberties with the story line that insult my intelligence then I do have an issue with the film.
All flaws aside, Housefull is only working because there is nothing else on offer right now. The ICC T20 WC is turning into a "dance to please the rain Gods" and I don't think the soap operas on TV have improved one little bit. :P
As for Sajid Khan and the band of copy cats he might inspire - Bhagwan Bachaye Inse.
@lovebollywood : I didn't mention real characters anywhere. I mentioned inconsistent characters. There's a difference. You had Amar & Prem in Andaz Apna Apna...as unreal as one can get. But they were consistent. They were introduced as dumb wannabe losers...and stayed so throughout the film. Not the case with Housefull. Each character's mentality, intelligence & motivations changed as per the situation...and in a haphazard manner. Just to suit the convenience of the scriptwriter & director. I don't expect logic from screwball comedies...they're meant to be illogical. What I do expect is consistency...which was missing in Housefull. That's why I've called it dishonest filmmaking. In fact, a reviewer has hit the nail bang on its head by remarking about the difference between no-brainer entertainment & no-brainer filmmaking. Hope you get the point. If you haven't, I give up.
Consistency of characters doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a character progression graph. It means that character progression should be explained through some events. In other words, characters should evolve OUT OF situations rather than change FOR them.
"By your standards, then all magic realism in fiction would be inconsistent, as the characters do not follow a clear and consistent path in terms of their actions."
That depends on the tone set for a piece or art, be it literature or cinema. Housefull is inconsistent even in its tone.
By the way, what do you smoke? You're comparing Milan Kundera with Sajid Khan...I'd love to lay my hands on your stash man. :)
Anyways...to each his own. Let's agree to disagree here.
@Kaiser & Tasnim : Rajneeti looks quite promising. Let's hope Prakash Jha gets it right this time too. :)
what a waste of time and money! I am not sure why Akki is selecting these type of useless movies?
I also did not understand, why Boman irani never asks for Lara's son in the end? what was the need of chunky? what was the need of the tiger in house? .....
Oh sorry last question... what was the need of making this movie?
@lovebollywood : A lot of people consume adulterated food. That doesn't make it healthy. Mass acceptance of a product is no certificate for its quality. Something appeals to people in Housefull...all I can say is that they don't really have a sense of humour...let alone good or bad. My opinion though...and I stand by it. If made to pick one by force, I'd pick The Great Indian Laughter Challenge over Housefull in the funny stakes.
And I find this "Before criticizing, make a movie yourself" argument laughable, to say the least. So, if you don't know how to drive, you can't criticise a driver for rash driving? How lame!!
I am commenting on this site for the first time.....you have a pretty diff style of writing these movie reviews...
went to Housefull......just because I had no other movie to watch....didnt enjoy much of it though......would have been better on a DVD...
@lovebollywood : By that logic, even praising a film is just as lame. Do you even realise how much of a fool you're making of yourself?
If you had cared to read that comment of mine where I said "To each his own...let's agree to disagree", we could've avoided this message. But then you had to write an essay on life, opinions and intelligence. Tum karo to chamatkar, hum karein to balatkar?
And to explain consistency to a dummy like you, try thinking about these examples...
1. The vacuum cleaner scene could have been a classic scene...showing a bumbling, clumsy Akki wrecking havoc. But a minute down the line, he's set the entire house in order. Now, if he was really that organised and methodical, how did he end up making such a mess in the first place? And if he was a bumbling idiot after all, how did he manage to set things in order?
2. Deepika Padukone throws a fit when she has a misunderstanding about Akki having lied to her. A couple of scenes later, she sets in motion the train of lies (most of them coming from herself) that the movie is built upon. Does it add up?
And these are just two examples out of the dozens that the film proudly wears on its sleeves. Does CONSISTENT & DISHONEST FILMMAKING make more sense to you now?
And before you make a lame comback like "That's what is brainless entertainment", I'd want you to show similar disconnects in characterisation and script in films like Hera Pheri, Andaz Apna Apna, Dulhe Raja and the likes. Those are films I would enjoy even today...after multiple watches. That's brainless entertainment. Housefull is brainless filmmaking.
Lara is looking damn hot in the movie. The movie is great.
Woah! i go away for a few days and look at how you guys interact! AWESOME! Should I go more often?
@Bollyfan very likely that I liked the film because of the circumstances. But each film is like that. It is humanly impossible to keep the environment and viewers personality away from his likes/dislikes.
"Something appeals to people in Housefull...all I can say is that they don't really have a sense of humour...let alone good or bad."
Dude, that's considering yourself superior to others when not one of us really is. I'd say something appeals to people in Singh is Kinng, all I can say is that I don't have that something in me and I'm fine doing without it. But then again, to each his own, as always!
@lovebollywood it's a little unfair to say don't expect any reality in films. Unreal films are called fantasy films. 'leave your brains behind films' should be a genre by itself.
Again, saying "walk the talk", means you say nothing good or bad about anything ever! Then you certainly are a saint who loves discussing films. More power to you
@Bollyfan and @lovebollywood thanks for making wogma an interesting place to hangout at! I love such discussions, let's keep them going.
@Hindi Radio that's how the cookie crumbles dear...
@Navin thanks!
Meetu : Accepted...and words taken back. :) The intention wasn't to put anything down but the film.
And reg. your views on housefull, the environment was exactly what I was pointing towards. I feel that the timing of release was a masterstroke on Sajid Nadiadwala's part.
@bollyfan Interesting that the team has brains enough to time the release but not enough to make a brain-more film :D
Not really...timing the release doesn't require any creative acumen...does it? :P
@Bollyfan that as supposed to be a joke, dude!
@Meetu : The title of this page brings out the worst in me. Maaf kar do. :)
@Bollyfan :P
thank you a lot for this usefull article. I like to read this kind of things, keep writing more relevant subjects and i will be loyal visitor of your blog.
So characters must EVOLVE and not CHANGE, ha,ha, yes, the sounds are sophisticated all right!! And CONSISTENT, this is a beauty!
its crap movie
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