Akshay Kumar’s latest big screen outing Housefull 5 has entered the Rs 50-crore club within just two days of release. The fifth instalment of the comedy franchise has earned Rs 56.73 crore nett in India so far, according to the makers of the film.
As per production banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Housefull 5 earned Rs 32.38 crore nett on Saturday, a 32 per cent jump from its opening day collection of Rs 24.35 crore nett. That makes it the biggest opener in the history of the Housefull franchise.
As per trade analysts, the dual climax concept seems to be working in the film’s favour. Housefull 5 has been released in two versions — Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B — each offering a different ending. Viewers can choose which version to watch at the time of booking, with each climax featuring a different killer.
On Saturday, Housefull 5A, which has been performing better, recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 37.97 per cent while Housefull 5B posted a more modest 21.97 per cent occupancy, according to industry data-tracking portal Sacnilk.
Directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Housefull 5 boasts a massive ensemble cast including Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Dino Morea, Chitrangda Singh, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever and Nikitin Dheer.
Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s ambitious collaboration Thug Life is facing choppy waters at the domestic box office. The film earned Rs 7.5 crore nett on Day 3, taking its India net total to Rs 30.15 crore nett.
Thug Life had opened with Rs 15.5 crore nett on Thursday but Friday collections plummeted to Rs 7.15 crore nett. While Saturday brought in a marginal recovery, the buzz around the film remains tepid, weighed down by stiff competition from Housefull 5.