MUMBAI: Houseful 3 follows Sajid Nadiadwala’s Houseful (2010) and Houseful 2 (2012), both of which saw varying degrees of success. This instalment too follows the same pattern of many characters filling the screen with silly gags and actions that are meant to keep the viewer occupied. In short, it is a leave-your-brain-at-home film that does not require a script.

Boman Irani is a kind of shipping tycoon based in UK with three daughters, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri and Lisa Haydon who he assumes to be simple, sanskari girls living according to their names: Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. He has some superstition about women in his family marrying because there are instances of bad happenings in the aftermath.

However, unknown to Boman as well as to each other, all three sisters have a man in their life. These are Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh. These three pretend to be in love but their real aim is to pocket many millions of wealth that vests between these three sisters.

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Boman has sought the help of Chunky Pandey, playing Aakhri Pasta in all the films, who comes dressed as a fortuneteller and predicts that the marriage of each girl bodes ill for Boman, who will die the moment the each sister’s man sets eyes on him, or steps into the house or utters the first word to Boman, respectively.

For the comedy and buffoonery to happen, most of the characters have to be under one roof. The girls and guys devise a plan. Akshay, an aspiring footballer, comes over on a wheel chair, he is incapable of stepping down or walking so Boman is safe on that count. Abhishek, dreaming of becoming a rapper, enters the house as a mute so there is no question of uttering a word to Boman. Riteish, who is raring to become a formula one driver, pretends to be blind; he can’t set eyes on Boman and hence even the third bad omen is ineffective.

Now enter three more suitors for these girls in Nikitin Dheer, Sameer Kochhar and Arav Chowdhary. Just out of jail, they are presented as Boman’s choice for the girls. Jackie Shroff enters the scene. An ex-don of Mumbai, Jackie is also just out of jail and decides to meet his underling, Boman in London. When jailed, Jackie had transferred Boman along with all his wealth to London. He also agrees with Boman’s choice of boys.

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For Dheer, Kochhar and Chowdhary, the hitch is that though Boman and Jackie prefer them for the girls, but the girls love Akshay, Abhishek and Riteish. After some more one-upmanship duels between the two groups, the good have to win over the evil. The idea is toraise some laughter and, hence, the battles have to be won with wit, not hand-to-hand fights.

The film does not have to adhere to a particular script. It resorts to gags to follow a loosely woven story and anything can be turned or twisted at will. On that count, Sajid and Farhad do a fair job. The film has passable musical score despite a number of lyric writers and composers; however, the choreography is executed in an entertaining manner. Photography captures lush London locations very well.

As for performances, Akshay Kumar, playing one with a split personality, excels in this film with his varied expressions and deadpan timing. Abhishek and Riteish play the perfect foils. Jacqueline, Nargis and Lisa add to the glamour quotient. Boman and Jackie do well. Of the three villains, Nikitin towers over the rest while Kochhar and Chowdhary are okay.

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Houseful 3 is a fair entertainer to hit the cinemas after a long draught. The film caters to all kind of audience and should manage a decent stay at the box office.

Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala.

Directors: Sajid, Farhad.

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Cast: Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Lisa Haydon, Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey, Nikitin Dheer, Sameer Kochhar, Arav Chowdhary.