Housefull 5 gets U/A certificate after CBFC cuts

The fifth installment of the hit Housefull franchise is all set for a theatrical release on June 6, and just ahead of its premiere, the comedy entertainer has cleared all formalities with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Housefull 5 has been granted a U/A 16+ certificate, but not without a few mandatory cuts and tweaks.Minor audio and visual edits ahead of releaseAs per a report by Bollywood Hungama, the CBFC instructed the makers to implement minor modifications before granting clearance. On the audio front, changes included altering the dialogue ‘nikal dungi’ and another line starting with ‘apne’, along with replacing certain words such as ‘item’ and ‘haram’ with more socially acceptable alternatives.

One particular dialogue at the 1 hour and 53-minute mark was also ordered to be removed.Visually, the film saw three key edits. A scene involving “champagne comming” was trimmed, and two scenes containing inappropriate hand gestures were suitably modified. Additionally, a brief moment featuring ‘sensual visuals’ was reduced by two seconds, contributing to a total of 11 seconds of trimmed or altered footage.

Dual certification: A new strategy?In an interesting move, the CBFC has certified two versions of the film—Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B—on May 28. While it’s unclear how the two versions differ, both have the exact same runtime of 165.48 minutes (2 hours, 45 minutes, and 48 seconds), making this a first-of-its-kind strategy for a mainstream Bollywood film.

Housefull 5 boasts a massive ensemble cast led by Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Sanjay Dutt, among others.