The Housefull 5 team has been making a couple of rather dubious claims, we must say. Earlier, we had to clarify that Housefull 5 is not the first film in the world to have multiple climaxes in cinemas, contrary to what producer Sajid Nadiadwala proudly claimed during the trailer launch. The Hollywood film Clue and the Malayalam film Harikrishnans had already done this long before. Now, Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh have made another claim that needs correcting. Fact Check: Akshay Kumar’s ‘Housefull 5’ Is NOT the First Movie in World To Have Multiple Endings in Theatres – There Are Others!

In a recent promotional video, Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh once again falsely reiterate that Housefull 5 - releasing in cinemas on June 6 with two alternate climaxes - is the first film in world cinema to do so. But even before that, Riteish also claimed that Housefull is the first Indian franchise to have a fifth instalment, which is simply untrue. One has to wonder: who’s fact-checking for the Housefull team?

Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh Promoting 'Housefull 5'

Since no one else seems to be correcting them, let’s do the honours ourselves with a few examples. (And no, we’re not counting cinematic universes - otherwise, Akshay Kumar could be reminded that he's part of one with five films in it: Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe.)

Indian Movie Franchises With Five or More Films

1920 Series

A Still From 1920: Horrors of the Heart

Vikram Bhatt’s period horror series may not have interconnected plots - neither does the Housefull franchise - but it does share a common setting, with all films unfolding in the pre-Independence era. The franchise includes five films: 1920 (2008), 1920: Evil Returns (2012), 1920: London (2016), 1921 (2018), and 1920: Horrors of the Heart (2023).

CBI Series

Mammootty in CBI 5: The Brain

Malayalam cinema not only beat Housefull 5 to the two-climax gimmick but also had a franchise reach five films long before. Mammootty’s CBI series is one of the industry’s most beloved, spanning over four decades; what's more they are murder-mysteries too. The five films are: Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988), Jagratha (1989), Sethurama Iyer CBI (2004), Nerariyan CBI (2005), and CBI 5: The Brain (2022).

Shri Shivraj Ashtak

A Still From Farzand

This Marathi historical franchise chronicles the rise, reign and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj across six films. All are directed by Digpal Lanjekar, with Chinmay Mandlekar portraying Shivaji Maharaj in each instalment. The films include: Farzand (2018), Fatteshikast (2019), Pawankhind (2022), Sher Shivraj (2022), Subhedar (2023), and Shivrayancha Chhava (2024).

Sabyasachi Chakrabarty’s Feluda Series

A Still From Tintorettor Jishu

While Bengali cinema has produced several adaptations of Satyajit Ray’s iconic detective Feluda, veteran actor Sabyasachi Chakrabarty played the character in eight films: Baksho Rahashya (2001), Bombaiyer Bombete (2003), Kailashey Kelenkari (2007), Tintorettor Jishu (2008), Gorosthaney Sabdhan (2010), Royal Bengal Rohosso (2011), Doorbeen (2014), and Double Feluda (2016).

Abir Chatterjee’s Byomkesh Bakshi Series

A Still From Byomkesh Hatyamancha

Another literary sleuth beloved by Bengali cinema is Byomkesh Bakshi. Though many actors have portrayed the role, Abir Chatterjee has done so across nine films: Byomkesh Bakshi (2010), Abar Byomkesh (2012), Byomkesh Phire Elo (2014), Har Har Byomkesh (2015), Byomkesh Pawrbo (2016), Byomkesh Gotro (2018), Biday Byomkesh (2018), and Byomkesh Hatyamancha (2022).

The 'Housefull' Franchise

The Housefull series began in 2010 with the first film, directed by Sajid Khan. A remake of the Tamil film Kaathala Kaathala, the movie was a box-office hit. Sajid Khan also directed the 2012 sequel, Housefull 2, which featured a larger cast and performed even better commercially. Akshay Kumar’s Whodunnits: Before ‘Housefull 5’, 5 Murder Mystery Movies Where Bollywood Superstar Took the Lead and Where To Stream Them Online.

Watch the Trailer of 'Housefull 5':

The third instalment, directed by Sajid-Farhad in 2016, was a decent success, while Farhad Samji took over as the sole director for Housefull 4 in 2019. Now, Tarun Mansukhani has replaced him as the director for Housefull 5. Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Chunky Pandey, and Jacqueline Fernandez have remained the consistent cast members across all five films.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2025 05:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).