'Housefull 5' box office collection day 1: Akshay Kumar's film rakes in ₹23 crore, crosses Kesari Chapter 2's opening day biz

Housefull 5, a slapstick comedy featuring Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh in leading roles, had a strong opening day at the domestic box office. The film earned a total of ₹23 crore on its first day at the ticket counters. 

With this, Housefull 5's opening day numbers have outpaced the day 1 collections of Akshay Kumar's previous release Kesari Chapter 2, as per film trade portal Sacnilk. Kesari Chapter 2 made a total of ₹7.75 crore as of its first day at the India box office. 

Housefull 5's box office numbers are likely to see a further boost on its first weekend. The film was released in theatres in two different versions -- Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B. 

Housefull 5A had an overall 28.88 per cent occupancy across its Hindi shows on Friday, with its night shows recording the highest occupancy at 45.65 per cent. Housefull 5B, on the other hand, had an overall 16 per cent occupancy across its Hindi shows on the same day, with its night shows logging the highest occupancy at 27.18 per cent. 

The Akshay Kumar-led comic caper opened at the box office with mixed reviews. While some people called it an out-and-out entertainer, others were appalled by the lack of creativity. 

A netizen commented: "Non-stop laughs, suspense and a wild mystery! Every character shined, twist in every scene... Teamwork created a buzz, climax silenced everyone!"

"Watched #Housefull5 today, and honestly, got a headache halfway through. Bollywood, where's the creativity gone?" a social media user said. 

"Film has worked in the parts. It is trying to do comedy, but it was not organic. Huge starcast but complete letdown. The same starcast has delivered iconic comedy movies, but nowadays that kind of creativity has gone," another social media user commented. 

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 is the fifth installment in the Housefull series. The movie centers around various imposters who assert they are the son of a late billionaire, all vying for his wealth on a cruise ship.

In addition to Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh, the cast includes Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, and Nana Patekar in key roles.

Housefull 5 hit theatres worldwide on June 6, a day after Kamal Haasan's Thug Life.