'Housefull 5': Anil Kapoor's departure impacts Nana Patekar's role
What's the story
The eagerly awaited reunion of Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar in Housefull 5 has been disrupted due to a disagreement over remuneration.
Kapoor, who was slated to join Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh in the fifth installment of the series, is no longer part of the film.
A source told Mid-Day, "Sajid [Nadiadwala] and Anil disagreed on the fee that the latter demanded," leading to Kapoor's departure from the project.
Resultantly, Patekar's role is being rewritten.
Rewrite
Patekar and Kapoor were supposed to work closely
Patekar, who was initially supposed to work closely with Kapoor (like their iconic roles in Welcome), now finds his role being altered.
The source added, "With Anil exiting Housefull 5, the makers are writing a new role for Nana."
Despite these alterations, director Tarun Mansukhani (Dostana) is set to commence filming at the end of August as planned.
Remarkably, Housefull is the only Indian franchise to reach its fifth part.
New entry
Arjun Rampal: The latest addition to the franchise
Meanwhile, on Friday, Bollywood Hungama reported that Arjun Rampal, who was a part of Housefull, has re-entered the franchise.
"After playing the part of a brother in Housefull, Arjun Rampal returns to the franchise after 14 long years. It's yet another serious yet funny character for Rampal and he is excited to come on board the film," reported the portal.
Reschedule
'Housefull 5' will be released next year
The film was initially set for release during Diwali 2024 but has been rescheduled to June 6, 2025.
The makers explained their decision stating: "The Housefull franchise owes its massive success to the audiences... Therefore, we've made the decision to push the release to ensure we deliver five times the entertainment with great cinematic experience."
It will be available on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run.