Is 'Housefull 5' sexist? Director Tarun Mansukhani says, not really
12 Jun 2025

Despite its box office success, Akshay Kumar's comedy Housefull 5 is facing backlash for being sexist and objectifying women.

The film has been accused of relying heavily on sexual innuendos and using female characters for "skin show."

However, director Tarun Mansukhani has defended his film in a recent interview with News18 Showsha. He stated that the scrutiny reflects the movie's success and that people are deliberately interpreting it as sexist.

'Scrutiny tends to only happen on successful films'
Director's perspective

Mansukhani welcomed the social media scrutiny, calling it a sign of the film's success.

He said, "I feel like that there's a lot of scrutiny on social media. I also believe that scrutiny tends to only happen on successful films."

"You tend to keep quiet if a film isn't working at all... So, when people are making noise about my film, I actually feel very happy about it."

'Plot driven by women...': Mansukhani on female characters in film
Plot defense

Mansukhani also defended the female characters in Housefull 5. He argued that they are crucial to advancing the story.

"Akshay decides to play Jolly and he comes to know that there's a missing son. So, he hires the character of Nargis (Fakhri) and asks him to join him on this search."

"It's Sonam (Bajwa) who backstabs Riteish (Deshmukh) and helps further the plot... The actual plot is driven by women - to get the money."

'One may choose to see a sexist side to it'
Viewer interpretation

Mansukhani also challenged viewers' interpretations of Housefull 5.

He said, "One may choose to see a sexist side to it, but I feel that I've done a lot more."

"If people haven't seen the film, how will the plot details transfer to them? And when they see it, it's the audience's choice to focus on whichever aspect they want to."

The film also stars Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Bajwa, Fardeen Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Fakhri.