Were Amitabh Bachchan & Anil Kapoor also offered 'Housefull 5'?
What's the story
The recently released Housefull 5, one of Bollywood's biggest multi-starrers, has been receiving positive reviews. The film features an ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, among others. However, it has been reported that producer Sajid Nadiadwala wanted to add even more star power to the already massive cast.
Role offers
Kapoor, Patekar to play police officers in 'Housefull 5'
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, veteran actors Anil Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan were initially offered roles in Housefull 5. The original plan was for Kapoor and Nana Patekar to play police officers, a role eventually taken up by Dutt and Shroff. The source said, "The idea was to have Uday-Majnu kind of banter between Anil and Nana."
Role decline
How Dutt, Shroff stepped into these roles
The source further revealed that Kapoor declined the offer, leading to Nadiadwala's decision to cast Dutt and Shroff as the police officers. The source added, "That combination also works as they both appeared in Khal Nayak (1993)." Meanwhile, Bachchan was offered the role of a senior cop, but he, too, respectfully declined due to his age and selective approach toward roles. Patekar was already part of Housefull 5 and hence essayed the senior cop's role originally intended for Big B.
Role speculation
Irani reportedly offered Batook Patel's role
There are also reports that actor Boman Irani was offered a role in Housefull 5, particularly the character of Batook Patel. This role has been a part of all Housefull films except for Housefull 4 (2019), and it was Irani who played Batook. These reports emerged after Kapoor refused to join Housefull 5 over remuneration issues. In terms of box office collection, Housefull 5 has already surpassed the ₹100 crore mark.