Honestly, the sheer chaos of trying to grab a housefull 5 movie ticket when the film dropped on June 6, 2025, was something else. If you were online during that first week, you probably saw the madness. People weren't just fighting for front-row seats; they were genuinely confused about which movie they were even buying.
Sajid Nadiadwala did something pretty wild here. He didn’t just release one film. He released two versions—Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B. It’s a first for Bollywood. You’d go to BookMyShow or Paytm, and you’d see two different listings. The plot is mostly the same, set on this massive, 20-story luxury cruise ship, but the killer in the murder mystery changes depending on which version you pick. It’s kinda brilliant from a business perspective, but a total headache if you just wanted a simple night out with popcorn.
Why the Housefull 5 Movie Ticket Choice Actually Matters
Most fans thought the "A" and "B" versions were just about different showtimes. They weren't.
Basically, the story follows three guys all claiming to be "Jolly"—the heir to billionaire Mr. Dobriyal’s fortune. You’ve got Akshay Kumar as Julius, Abhishek Bachchan as Jalbhushan, and Riteish Deshmukh as Jalabuddin. When the old man dies during his 100th birthday bash on the ship, everyone becomes a suspect.
If you bought a housefull 5 movie ticket for Version A, you saw one person revealed as the murderer. If you went to Version B, it was someone else entirely.
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This created a weird "FOMO" loop. People ended up buying tickets twice just to see how the other ending played out. According to trade analyst Sacnilk, the film sold over 1.4 lakh tickets in advance booking alone, raking in roughly ₹9.59 crore before the doors even opened. That’s a lot of people trying to solve a fictional murder.
The Cost of the Laughs
Let’s talk money. This wasn't a cheap production. With a budget of around ₹225 crore, it’s officially the costliest Indian comedy film ever made. Because the budget was so high, the housefull 5 movie ticket prices reflected that.
In major metros like Mumbai and Delhi (specifically the NCR region), premium recliner seats in PVR Inox or Cinepolis were hitting upwards of ₹800 to ₹1,200 during the opening weekend. Even the standard seats in smaller towns were slightly marked up compared to your average Friday release.
- Average Ticket Price (Metros): ₹350 - ₹600
- Premium/IMAX Pricing: ₹900+
- Single Screen Pricing: ₹150 - ₹250
If you were looking for a deal, the mid-week shows (Tuesday/Wednesday) were the only time prices dipped back to normalcy.
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Where to Buy and What to Look For
By now, the theatrical run has cooled off, but during the peak, the digital platforms were the only way to go.
- BookMyShow: Usually the go-to. They had a specific toggle for Version A vs Version B.
- Paytm Insider: Often had "buy 1 get 1" credit card offers that helped offset those high ticket prices.
- Amazon Prime Video: If you missed the theatrical window, the movie eventually migrated here for streaming.
The sheer scale of the cast is likely why the tickets were so expensive. You weren't just paying to see Akshay. You were paying for Nana Patekar, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Fardeen Khan, Johnny Lever, and a whole list of actresses like Jacqueline Fernandez and Nargis Fakhri. It was basically a "Who's Who" of Bollywood comedy.
The Real Shooting Locations
A lot of people asked if the cruise ship was just a green screen in a studio in Mumbai. Nope. Tarun Mansukhani actually took the whole crew on a real cruise for 40 days. They sailed from Newcastle in the UK to Spain, Normandy, and Honfleur.
When you buy a housefull 5 movie ticket, you’re actually seeing real drone shots of the English coast. They even filmed at Beer Beach in Devon, which they had to close to the public. It adds a level of "largeness" to the film that the previous sequels kinda lacked.
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What Most People Missed in the Booking Process
There was a minor controversy about the runtime. At 165 minutes (2 hours and 45 minutes), it’s a long sit. Many people booked late-night shows not realizing they wouldn't be out until nearly 2 AM.
Also, if you're looking for tickets now, keep in mind that the international market loved this more than the domestic critics. In the UAE and Australia, the movie broke records for Akshay Kumar, mostly because the NRI audience loves these big ensemble comedies.
Actionable Insights for Moviegoers:
- Check the Version: If you are watching a re-run or a special screening, always verify if it is Version A or B so you don't watch the same ending twice.
- Platform Offers: Use bank-specific apps (like ICICI or Amazon Pay) which frequently offer 20-30% discounts on movie vouchers for big-ticket releases.
- Group Bookings: For a cast this big, theaters often offer "Bulk Booking" discounts for groups of 10 or more. This can bring the price per head down by about ₹100.
- Streaming Transition: If ticket prices are too steep, the gap between theatrical release and OTT (Amazon Prime) is usually 8 weeks.
The madness of the housefull 5 movie ticket rush proved that even after five films, the audience still has a massive appetite for "brainless" comedy, provided it’s served on a literal 20-story ship.