Housefull 5, the latest instalment in the long-running comedy franchise, will release in two versions, 5A and 5B, each with a different ending, producer Sajid Nadiadwala has revealed.

A format once famously attempted by the 1985 Hollywood whodunit Clue, the multiple-endings model has since been abandoned by Western studios. But Nadiadwala sees potential in it.

“The idea of having multiple endings, multiple experiences has been with me for 30 years,” he told American entertainment portal Variety, adding, “Since I wanted to make Housefull 5 a thriller comedy, there couldn’t have been a better way to execute my idea of having multiple endings.”

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani from a story by Nadiadwala and a screenplay co-written with Farhad Samji, Housefull 5 reunites franchise regulars Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh with Abhishek Bachchan. The cast also includes Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa and Jacqueline Fernandez, alongside veterans like Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar and Chunky Panday.

The film follows three impostors, all claiming to be the heir to a deceased billionaire, as they jostle for inheritance aboard a 20-storey luxury cruise. A murder on board makes matters worse for the trio as they become prime suspects in the case.

The course of the investigation, and the identity of the murderer, will be different in the two versions, Nadiadwala said.

Leading multiplex chains are screening both versions, either at staggered showtimes or on different screens within the same property. “Each of our locations will screen both versions of the film,” Kamal Gianchandani, chief of business planning and strategy at PVR INOX, told Variety. “This gives moviegoers more choice, more engagement, and more reason to return to the theatre.”

Pen Marudhar, the film’s distribution partner, has been working closely with exhibitors to streamline the rollout. “It adds an entirely new layer of interactivity to the theatrical experience,” Sanjay Chatar said.

Housefull 5 releases in theatres on June 6.