A House Full of Comedy!

When he appeared at the official launch event announcing the release of Housefull 3, Boman Irani had promised that it would offer three times the fun that the earlier movies had – and now it seems he was absolutely right. Talk to fans of the franchise and you will discover that they are thoroughly satisfied with the film, its plot, the performances, the jokes – and the trademark streak of craziness that runs through the entire film.

Those who avidly follow the Housefull series already know that the films have their own offbeat, quirky, politically incorrect sense of humour. It’s the kind of humour that one encounters every day in the social media space… on Facebook and WhatsApp – humour that may not have you in splits of laughter but it certainly evokes a smile; jokes that are downright silly but one still waits for more with a sense of eager anticipation.

In Housefull 3, a lot of such silly humour lies in dialogue lines that constitute a convoluted mash-up of English and Hindi – mauling and massacring both languages in the process. Here are some of the lines that people are talking about…

“Nimboo ki roshni se door raho” (Stay away from the limelight)

“Thandi wali dawa le lo” (Take a chill pill)

“Chalo latakte hain” (Come let’s hang out)

“Saandh ki aankh maarna” (Hit the bull’s eye)

“Ham bachche nahin bana rahe” (I’m not kidding)

Not surprisingly, lines like these have the movie critics erupting in derision and bemoaning the plummeting standards of humour in Bollywood films – while the same lines have fans of the Housefull series delighted. Indeed, this is the brand of humour they have come to expect from the Sajid-Farhad writer-director duo. That’s why they are emerging from the movie theatres with big grins and a happy sense of “Paisa vasool” (value for money).

While comedy may not be the mainstay for Akshay Kumar (better known for action roles) and Abhishek Bachchan, for Boman Irani it may be considered an area of core competence. He has pretty much done every type of comedy ranging from intelligent humour like the portrayal of Professor Virus in 3 Idiots to slapstick humour in movies like Santa Banta. Cast your mind back on the blustering Khurana in Khosla Ka Ghosla and the ‘slapping scene’ in Bhootnath Returns – and you are instantly amazed by the variety of comic roles that this versatile specialist can play. And now, Batook Patel of Housefull 3 joins this ever-growing list of delightfully funny characters played by Boman Irani.

As the brand ambassador for P Mark Mustard Oil, Boman brings several delightful little quirks into the television commercial – some classic expressions, rolling of the eyes and a variety of playful reactions. The comedy is subtle. It entertains – and yet it doesn’t dilute the brand messaging in any way. At the end of the ad, Boman emphatically explains why P Mark is ‘The Mustard Specialist’. This is a serious message and the comic elements of the ad do not detract from its seriousness.

As an experienced specialist, Boman is able to handle this dichotomy with aplomb. With his amazing acting capabilities, he handles the key challenges on parallel tracks – he engages with the audience through the subtle interplay of comedy and quick-witted dialogue delivery, and at the same time, he delivers the brand message with such amazing panache that the audience can actually see how much he believes in the brand. To be honest, not many brand ambassadors can do that.