Director Tarun Mansukhani Picks His Funniest Housefull 5 Actor. It’s Not Akshay Kumar

The year was 2010, and Sajid Khan’s Housefull unleashed a laughter riot that to date, has become the only film in the long-running franchise that is fondly missed.

Followed by multiple instalments thereafter, the fifth part drops tomorrow, with a new filmmaker, Tarun Mansukhani, taking over the director’s seat.Ahead of one of the mega releases of 2025, Mansukhani is at his nonchalant best. No ifs or buts, in fact, he jokingly mentions, “The fear isn’t whether the audience will come to the theatre, the question is, will they stay back until the curtain call? Will they discuss itIn an exclusive conversation with NDTV, the filmmaker addresses if having an ensemble cast is just for the bling factor, why the comparisons with the OG Housefull will never stop, and no, Akshay Kumar might not be the funniest in the film this time.

Why The Housefull Instalment Might Never Match Up To The First Part

“The first experience of any film is like your first true love, right?”

Mansukhani’s way of looking at the situation at hand catches you off-guard. One would expect him to give a politically correct answer, stating that maybe the times were different, maybe 15 years ago, the audience just found the kind of humour they were looking for.Tarun Mansukhani explains, “The kind of butterflies that you feel and the excitement that you get from the first part when it becomes a core memory for you, is something that you can’t compete with, so the love will always be compared. I can only hope you turn around and say that 5 was better than 1. But first love is first love.”

So, Is Tarun Mansukhani Oblivious To Social Media Backlash?

Loyal fans of Housefull will always be divided. While some find it a passage of nostalgia to get lost in because the first instalment had everyone in splits. Some only have one question racing through their minds, “What is the need to continue?”

And there’s a whole debate on it on social media.

Tarun Mansukhani has a straightforward approach to it. He says that one cannot be a saint and just pretend that it does not matter.