Housefull 5 is one of the biggest Bollywood films of the year, filled with popular actors and a massive budget. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, this fifth installment of the Housefull comedy series grabbed headlines with its grand release and strong box office performance.
The film features a huge star cast including Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shreyas Talpade, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, Dino Morea, Sonam Bajwa, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever, Nikitin Dheer, and Soundarya Sharma.
But did you know that two legendary Bollywood actors were also approached for roles in the movie? Yes, Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor were in talks to be part of Housefull 5 but eventually turned down the offers.
Anil Kapoor Was First Choice to Play a Cop?
According to reports, Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar were the original choices to play the two funny police officers in the film. The makers wanted to recreate the hit comic chemistry from the Welcome series, where the duo played the iconic characters Uday Bhai and Majnu Bhai.
A source revealed, “The idea was to bring back the Uday-Majnu kind of banter between Anil and Nana.”
However, Anil Kapoor reportedly declined the role. Although the reason wasn’t officially confirmed, it’s believed he turned down the offer due to payment issues. After his exit, the filmmakers brought in Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff to play the cop duo instead. This change also created excitement among fans, as Dutt and Shroff had earlier worked together in the cult classic Khal Nayak (1993).
Amitabh Bachchan Turned Down a Key Role Too
That’s not all—Amitabh Bachchan was also approached for a major role in Housefull 5. He was offered the part of a senior investigating officer. However, the megastar politely said no. A source mentioned, “He respectfully declined, probably because he is over 80 now and chooses his projects carefully.”
Since Nana Patekar was already part of the cast, the makers gave him the role originally written for Big B. Fans were disappointed, as they were hoping to see Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan share screen space again.
Box Office Collection: A Strong Start
Housefull 5 released in theatres on June 6 and got off to a strong start at the Indian box office. So far, the film has earned a net income of ₹116.68 crore and a total gross of ₹137.68 crore in India. With a huge budget of ₹225 crore, the film has already recovered 52% of its production cost.
The movie is still running in theatres and is expected to do even better in the coming days. With so many big stars and fun-filled comedy, Housefull 5 continues to entertain fans across the country.
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