Star Cast: Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh, Jiah Khan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Lillete Dubey, Randhir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lara Dutta, Malaika Arora
Director: Sajid Khan
Housefull is a story of Aarush (Akshay), a total loser and an unlucky man, who after quitting a job moves in with his best friend, Bob (Ritesh Deshmukh) and his wife Hetal (Lara Dutta). Hoping that marriage will change his fortune, Aarush marries Devika (Jiah Khan) but finds that she loves someone else. Meanwhile, desperate to prove to her father (Boman Irani)that his husband, whom she married against his wishes, is a good man, Hetal poses Aarush as her husband. Meanwhile, Aarush is in love with Sandy (Deepika Podukone) and tries to impress her brother Major Krishna Rao (Arjun Rampal), but finds out that he is also the brother of his ex-girlfriend. Both Aarush and Bob somehow are able to convince everyone that they are the best match for their respective girls.
The film does not offer much that is new because more than often it tends to remind you that you are watching a typical Sajid Khan film. Though, it is not a bad film, at the end, you end up wishing that had Sajid concentrated on the story a little more, he could have given you a much more entertaining film. The way all the characters lie in the second half of the film seem to be repetitive and reminds you of many movies that you may have seen in recent past, where you might have watched something similar.
The opening part of the film, where Akshay meets Jiah Khan and marries hee seems to be totally unnecessary and seem to slow down the film.
Yet, the combination Akshay and Ritesh seem to work for the film in a terrific manner and manages to make you laugh. Despite being repetitive and boring at places, the director has used the lying plot successfully to hold the interest of the viewers. The climax of the film is also attractive and it is good see that the director keeps your hilarious mood intact even till the end.
With Housefull, both Akshay Kumar and Ritesh Deshmukh have again proved that comedy is their strong point and both excel in such roles. Deepika and Lara have performed well in their roles but contrary to what you might have expected, its Lara, who has got better role in the film and overshadows Deepika. Arjun Rampal has done justice to his character. Though his role is rather small, Radhir Kapoor has also done justice to his role in his comeback film.
With Housefull, Boman Irani has once again proved that he is one of the better actors of recent times. In fact both Boman and Arjun complement each-other perfectly in the film. The former in a comic character and the latter in a more serious role provide the much needed balance to the film.
The music of Shankar Ehsaan Loy goes well with the script. Vikas Sivaraman’s camera work is good as he has captured the beauty of certain locations in an excellent way.
The film has some weak points as well. First, actors like Chunky Pandey and Jiah Khan have been wasted in the film. Secondly, the story, screenplay and direction of the film are weak and seem to be repetitive.
So, if you want some light hearted entertainment, this film can be watched once. But, going by the hype created around it, if you are expecting an exceptional film in Housefull, then you are in for a disappointment. And the person to be blamed for it is none other than Sajid Khan.
