Akshay Kumar goes undercover to elicit public reviews of ‘Housefull 5’ outside Bandra theatre

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, in a surprising move, went undercover, wearing a “killer mask”, at a Bandra theatre on Sunday to gather public reactions to his film ‘Housefull 5’.

The actor called it a “mast experience” of his life. Taking to his Instagram handle, Akshay shared a video of him standing outside a Bandra theatre while wearing a ‘killer mask’, as shown in the film.

While holding a microphone, the actor was heard asking the viewers about the movie and the actor they loved the most in the film as they were exiting the Bandra theatre.

In the video, many said they liked the film and praised Akshay Kumar’s performance. The viewers were unaware of the actor’s presence behind the mask as they gave their feedback for the film. At the end, a woman who seemed to recognise him looked excited as she filmed him with a large smile on her face.

While sharing his experience of collecting reviews of his movie, the actor wrote, “Bas yun hi I decided to wear the killer mask and interview people coming out of the Housefull5 show at Bandra today. Pakda jaane wala thaa end mein but bhaag gaya us se pehle. Mast experience. (I decided to wear the killer mask and interview people coming out of the Housefull 5 show at Bandra today, just like that. I almost got caught at the end, but I ran before that. Fun experience.)”

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Housefull 5 was released in theatres on Friday. Despite mixed reviews, it registered a strong opening at the box office. As per trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the fifth instalment in the popular comedy franchise earned Rs 24.35 cr on Day 1.

Taking to his X handle, he wrote, “No block bookings… No #BOGO free ticket offers… No discounted ticket rates… A non-holiday release… Yet, #SajidNadiadwala packs a solid punch with #Housefull5. #Housefull5 posts an impressive opening day score… The film gained momentum as the day progressed, with evening and late-night shows performing the best. Although advance bookings weren’t particularly strong, the current bookings drove the numbers higher… In fact, the Day 1 figures have once again proven all pre-release expectations and projections wrong by a wide margin.”

Taran added, “#Housefull4 – the biggest opener of the franchise – had collected Rs 19.08 cr [pre-Diwali] on its opening day… #Housefull5, despite releasing on a *non-holiday* + working day, has now emerged as the biggest opener of the franchise. #Housefull5 is expected to post even stronger numbers on Saturday and Sunday – two crucial days that could significantly boost its total… If the business jumps into mass circuits, non-national chains, and single screens, the sky’s the limit. #Housefull5 [Week 1] Fri Rs 24.35 cr.”

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, the film stars Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Fardeen Khan, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Ranjeet, Johny Lever, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chunky Panday, Dino Morea, Sonam Bajwa and Soundarya Sharma.

‘Housefull 5’ boasts multiple endings. (ANI)