When the film industry evolves, the storytelling in its films evolves too. But that doesn’t seem to be the case with comedy in Bollywood, especially not with Housefull 5.
If we look at the comedy films released in the past few years, none have truly stood out. Even the ones that were somewhat funny weren’t strong enough to be called iconic.
When we look back, we had legendary films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Angoor, Bhagam Bhaag, Hera Pheri and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. But now, comedy films seem to rely heavily on nostalgia bait and attempt to cash in on the success of their predecessors.
Bollywood isn’t trying to create original comedy films anymore, it’s simply copying iconic ones and banking on people to show up because of the emotional attachment they have to the original.
Take Housefull 5, for example. It feels like a concoction of outdated boomer memes, callbacks from previous films, and third-grade, offensive sexual humour.
This reflects just how poor Farhad Samji’s writing is, because he clearly had nothing original to add to the story.
What’s worse is the way the film tries to sell the audience a bunch of tasteless, brainless, downright disgusting jokes and then mocks them for enjoying them.
When we think of greats like Kader Khan, Johnny Walker, and Mehmood, we’re reminded that comedy used to be more than just crude jokes, recycled punchlines, and lazy writing. It had actual substance. These actors often improvised lines and delivered something original rather than simply emulating someone else.
Now, when we watch Kartik Aaryan in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3, it’s obvious he’s trying to imitate Akshay Kumar. And when we see Akshay Kumar today, it’s painfully clear he’s trying to imitate his younger self.
Comedy writing has a shelf life. What worked years ago cannot be force-fed to audiences today.
It remains one of the toughest genres to master, and to finesse it now, we need fresh, young writers bringing something new to the table. That’s the only way a comedy film can go from passable to truly iconic.
