The film Housefull 5 had a grand opening in cinemas on June 6, featuring a star-studded cast and two alternate endings. Although the film performed well at the box office in its first week, audiences criticized it for its humor based on gender bias and for portraying women merely as objects in the storyline.
According to Indian media, one of the new additions to this franchise is actor Soundarya Sharma, who recently defended the film by saying that everyone has the right to their opinion and that legendary films are often misunderstood by the people.
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During an interview on the YouTube channel Entertainment Live, when Soundarya was asked about the criticism the film is facing, she immediately responded that she was only playing the character the way it was written. She said, “I think it depends on every individual’s perspective. I don’t mix my own vision with what my director wants me to do.”
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“The film was made on a lighter note, and everyone is just playing a character, and all these characters are a reflection of our own society.” She further added that she is grateful for the people who are trolling the movie, because that gives the film more publicity.” She added.
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When asked about her personal opinion on the film, Soundarya stated that often audiences fail to understand what the director is trying to convey, and many great films have suffered from this issue. “Not everyone will like whatever you put out there. I am sure people have certain disagreements with cult films like Baahubali and Animal, or maybe some of the old ones like Pakeezah or Guide. So I think this is just an amalgamation of opinions.”
Despite the criticism, the film crossed a net collection of Rs130 crore in India in its first week of release, making it Akshay Kumar’s ninth highest-grossing film. The film’s director Tarun Mansukhani also came forward in defense of the film and said that people are focusing only on “skin show” and objectification of women.
Speaking to News18, he said, “It means that they’re watching it with a certain eye and sensibility. You can scrutinize it. That’s fine. You’ve paid money to watch it, and so you get to have an opinion on my film. It’s not a placid film about which you don’t care or have an opinion. For those who’re calling it out, I want to say that it’s your choice to see and focus on that aspect of the film.”
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