It’s not just clash-of-thrones—this was clash of comedy, romance, and time loops at the ticket counter!
The Champions Roll Call
Let’s meet our contenders:
- Housefull 5: Star-studded comedy with murder-mystery twist, starring Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez & more.
- Bhool Chuk Maaf: Romantic time-loop tale with Rajkummar Rao & Wamiqa Gabbi.
- Thug Life: Kamal Haasan’s crime-comedy, hit theatres at the same time.
- Also lingering in memory: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (a Diwali 2024 smash), but still relevant as benchmark.
Opening Weekend Face-Off
Housefull 5 cemented its dominance within the first weekend:
- ₹87 crore net in three days
- Day‑1: ₹24.35 cr | Day‑2: ₹28.5–32 cr | Day‑3: ₹32–35 cr
- Cracked the ₹100 crore milestone by Monday, propelled by holiday buzz.
- Achieved ₹140 crore worldwide across three days.
Bhool Chuk Maaf, after early delays and OTT teases, saw a quieter ride:
- Earned ₹7 crore on day one—modest but decent considering the hiccups.
- By day 15, ticket sales slowed to ₹0.47 crore, as Housefull 5 took the limelight.
Thug Life—the grand challenger—bombed:
- Underperformed badly compared to Housefull 5, trailing far behind.
Worldwide Totals & Franchise Comparisons
Housefull 5 ended its three-day run with:
- ₹140 crore worldwide total
- Grabbed top franchise opening, beating Housefull 4 (~₹85 crore opening).
In contrast:
- Bhool Chuk Maaf is still under ₹10 crore worldwide—its impact limited outside India.
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024) earned over ₹371–423 crore globally, reminding us how horror-comedy franchises can still set the bar.
Critic Reviews vs Audience Love
Housefull 5 is a critic-favorite—if your favorite critic is your neighbor’s cousin’s friend. Social media reaction:
- “What torture… too many double meaning jokes.”
- Some called out Slapstick sausage fest, but also praised punch-a-laugh moments.
Still, family audiences showed up in droves—especially during the Eid weekend. Akshay even did outside-cinema selfies wearing a mask— PR flop OR step-up? You decide.
Bhool Chuk Maaf received respectable word-of-mouth, but poor box office literacy—its time-loop charm wasn’t enough to match the comedy rollers. Its delay hurt momentum.
Thug Life couldn’t break through noise, even with star Kamal Haasan backing it.
In contrast, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 showed how a Diwali-weekend release with nostalgia, comedy, and horror can out-earn even top male-lead heavyweights.
Housefull 5:
- Likely to cross ₹100 crore by Day 4 (Monday bump). Analysts predict ₹200 crore worldwide if midweeks stay healthy.
Bhool Chuk Maaf was in its third week by the time Housefull 5 dropped—making it overshadowed and stalled by comparison.
Thug Life faded early with little recovery.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 in contrast had punchy second and third weekends—ending near ₹247 crore by week four.
What Audiences Are Googling
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which is the biggest hit this month? | Housefull 5, bars none. |
| Will Housefull 5 beat ₹200 crore mark? | Quite possible globally, thanks to franchise pull & holiday magic. |
| How did Bhool Chuk Maaf do? | Started small (~₹7 cr), left behind by bigger comedies. |
| Did Thug Life flop? | Yes—despite star power, it barely made impact. |
| What about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3? | A historic hit—₹371–423 crore worldwide. |
| Which film is more emotional/comic? | Bhool Chuk Maaf aims for emotion/time-loop romance. Housefull 5 is purely goofy. |
Emotional vs. Funny vs. Professional Impact
- Housefull 5: pure masala entertainer—on paper silly, in theatres full of energy.
- Bhool Chuk Maaf: attempted emotional depth with time-loop romance, but lacked scale and reach.
- Thug Life: tried crime + comedy mix, but lost before the race began.
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: emotional nostalgia disguised as horror-comedy = massive success.
Trending Theatres & Social Reaction
- Housefull 5 broke occupancy records on Sunday (~55%) and sustained solid openings.
Fans captured akshay’s outside-theatre selfies—mixed but fun reactions.
Bhool Chuk Maaf lost screens as Housefull expanded.
Box Office Scorecard
- Housefull 5 – Market leader: ₹87 crore net weekend, ₹140 crore global weekend, ₹100+ cr net by Monday.
- Bhool Chuk Maaf – Modest success: ₹7 crore opening, faded after Housefull launch.
- Thug Life – Box office misfire within first weekend.
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 – Diwali darling: ₹371–423 crore global, massive longevity.
What These Films Say About Bollywood in 2025
- Big casts + slapstick = box office gold, even if critics cry foul.
- Timing is everything: Eid and Diwali weekend releases pack theatres.
- Niche romantic/fantasy films struggle unless backed by big marketing.
- Streaming releases impact box office if not handled smartly (see Bhool Chuk Maaf’s court tussle).
- Housefull 5 is the current box office champ—big, loud, and unapologetically commercial.
- Bhool Chuk Maaf earned applause, but not the cash.
- Thug Life couldn’t compete.
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 remains the gold standard for comedy-horror triumph.
Bollywood in 2025 loves spectacle, not subtlety—and right now, loud = lucrative.
