Housefull 4 Hindi Movie Review

            Some where at the near end of the film the characters are all held captive with weird guys engaged in some kind of song and dance. This could well sum up the plight of the audience caught in their inexplicable eagerness to check if the latest instalment of the Housefull genre has improved on its sense of humour. No luck. The sense of comedy is as crass. Moments that may help you chuckle get rear. It is a huge ask to laugh at what is happening either in 2019 in London or 1419 in Sitamgarh. Akshay Kumar, Ritesh and Chunkey Pandey remain with the franchise. The rest have either lost steam or for obvious reasons fight shy of the script.

            Three guys, three gals. Harry (Akshay), Max (Bobby) and Roy (Ritesh) are in love with Neha (Kriti Kharbanda), Kriti (Kriti Sanon) and Pooja (Pooja Hegde).  Billionaire Papa (Ranjeet) in keeping with the screen image of the actor is always with group of ill clad girls and flirting outrageously with them all. He retains for a tiny bit of time filial sanity and rejects the suitors. The three guys see the gals as their last chance to pay up Big Bhai Michael (Manoj Pahwa) a huge sum of five million pounds. An accidental reptile among the horses in the stable invokes the heroics of Harry to save damsel in distress Kriti. This also gives him images from a very distant past. Dad quickly reviews his views on prospective sons-in-law. The entire family head to Sitamgarh for the Great Indian Wedding. The journey is not just about moving from London to Sitamgarh but also from 2019 to 1419.

            1419: Raja Parikshit (Parikshit Sahani) has a good for nothing son in bald Bala (Akshay). As would be with any one with a modicum of sanity, he throws his out of the kingdom. Conspiring with Bala is his valet Pasta (Chunkey) who ensures he enters neighbouring kingdom of Madhavgarh (no citizenship issues for Akki here). Madhavgarh is ruled by Raja Surya Singh Rana (Ranjeet) with three daughters Madhu Meena and Mala). In the lecherous king’s world are his protector Dharamputra (Bobby) and dance teacher Bangdu Mahraj (Ritesh). Also in the narrative vicinity are the scheming Minister (Sharad Kelkar) and head of the nearby tribal kingdom Gama (Rana). After their earlier temporal disaster, the pairs get mixed up. With the wedding date precariously close Harry has realised that the pairs are hopelessly swapped. The marriage has however to go on as there is a booty to take. The gal guy mix up requires immediate attention. Also returning to Sitamgarh are modern avatars of Gama and the Minster. They too join the mad house. Truly House full House fool – any which way you chose to see.

            The slap stick approach with a heady mix of the stated content is what the viewer gets. Each out gets an inflated dose. The cast is picked more from availability than necessity It appears for them cash is carrot script stick. NO one is particularly concerned about the script, the story or the happenings. Your heart goes out for poor Ritesh whose talent is yet again waisted in inconsequential roles. The girls are simple props dressed for the occasion and more prepared for a modelling assignment than a film script. Kriti Sanon seems to have seen the rushes and so justifiably she keeps asking: wahan kya ho raha hai.

For the viewer it is from the three pigeons: Neil Nithin Mukesh that the message arrives in abundance and with clarity: Pigeon shit.

L. Ravichander.