Housefull 4 trailer: Everything you want to know about Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon film

Housefull 4 trailer: As Akshay Kumar’s fans gear up for the trailer release, we bring you all the things you’d want to know about the film.

Akshay starred in the first Housefull movie in 2010 with Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan. The film was directed by Sajid Khan and opened to great success at the box office.

Sajid also directed the second film in the instalment which starred Akshay and Riteish with John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Asin and Zareen Khan. This film released in 2012 and did even better business than the first.

The third film was co-directed by Sajid and Farhad Samji, one of their many collaborations. It released four years later in 2016 and starred Akshay, Riteish and Jacqueline with Abishek Bachchan, Lisa Haydon and Nargis Fakri. The film did a stellar business again.

While all the films star Akshay and Riteish in lead roles, the stories are unrelated and get a fresh start with every film.

The controversies:

Housefull 4 was supposed to be directed by Sajid again but the director was put under suspension by the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association during last year’s #MeToo movement over complaints of sexual harassment against him.

He was accused of sexual harassment by three women who opened up about their ordeals on their respective social media accounts. “The Committee investigated the complaints in the spirit of POSH Act. The allegations in the complaints are serious instances of sexual harassment and abuse of power by Sajid Khan,” said IFTDA in December.

The association also stated that even after given an opportunity to put forth his defence, Sajid didn’t give any explanation. IFTDA added that Sajid exposed his ‘real self’ and admitted to being abusive and disrespectful towards women in a previous interview.

Sajid stepped down from the film and was replaced by Farhad. Akshay stood by the victims and did not support Sajid.

The MeToo Movement gained momentum in India when actor Tanushree Dutta talked again about being harassed by actor Nana Patekar on the sets of their 2008 film Horn OK Please. Her account of harassment inspired several other women in the film, education and media industries to speak up against their harassers.

Nana, who was shooting for Housefull 4 during all of this last year, was later removed from the film after Akshay gave an ultimatum on Twitter. Akshay wrote that he had requested the film’s producers to halt production on the film, pending an investigation. Akshay’s statement came after allegations were made against Sajid.

Nana denied all allegations made against him, filed a defamation suit against Tanushree, after which she slapped him with an FIR. He was replaced on the film by Rana Daggubati.

A year later, Chunky Pandey, who plays the recurring role of Aakhri Pasta in the film, showed support towards Sajid Khan. “Sajid is loud and flamboyant, someone who can say anything and get away with it. But he doesn’t mean half the things he says. People can misunderstand him easily. That is what has led to all this and caused trouble for him,” he said.

The new cast:

The Housefull 4 cast has brought in four new faces--Bobby Deol, Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda. The film will have the six leads in double roles--a 14th century avatar and a 21st century avatar. Revolving around the theme of reincarnation, the film follows a non-linear narrative.

On Wednesday, Akshay shared multiple character posters which show Sanon, Hegde and Kharbanda as beautiful princesses while Akshay, Riteish and Bobby played various important men of the royal court.

The film also stars Johnny Lever, and Boman Irani, among others.

Production and release:

The fourth instalment of the franchise has been shot extensively in London, Rajasthan, and Mumbai and is touted to be the most expensive comedy ever made in India. It is slated to hit the big screens on Diwali and will clash with Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Saand Ki Aankh and Rajkummar Rao-starrer Made in China.

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