With Housefull 5, Chitrangda Singh steps into full-blown comedy territory — and straight into a 100-crore club hit. But while the film has had audiences laughing, the shoot was anything but easy. In a candid conversation with Mid-day, post the film’s release, Chitrangda opens up about shooting on a cruise, navigating internet scrutiny, and why she refuses to be boxed into one kind of role.
“It was a storm — literally!”
Recounting the challenging shoot schedule of Housefull 5, Chitrangda described what it was like filming on a cruise for over 20 days. “We were on this cruise for over 20 days. It was very choppy, and there was a storm as well. Everybody was seasick for a couple of days. There was this one floor where everyone had thrown up — nobody wanted to go there, it was that bad,” she recalled. “I think barring one-fourth of the crew, everyone was seasick. We shot for one day and then I was like, ‘Koi hai nahi, are we not shooting?’ It was a tough time.”
Despite the challenges, there were some beautiful moments too. The team often bonded over dinners and long conversations on the deck.
“After dinner, we’d go up on the deck. Everyone would share their stories. Sajid [Nadiadwala] would talk about how it was back in the day, Abhishek is such a storyteller, and Akshay was always up to some prank,” she laughed. “Every two days the cruise would stop — France, Spain, wherever — and we’d get off and have a good time. So yes, in a way, it felt like a paid holiday.”
“We laugh much less now”
Beyond the laughs, Chitrangda also spoke about the growing pressure on actors to be extra cautious in today’s social media-driven culture — and the fear of being “cancelled.”
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it seriously before. But now you really have to be careful,” she said. “People don’t realise that we are actors. We get a script, the director has a vision — and we follow that. Still, things become political or social issues so quickly. People assume you’re a certain kind of person just because you say a dialogue.”
“The sense of humour in society has gone down. We laugh much less than we used to. And we get angry very fast.”
“I’m a performer — I’ll do Hazaaron and I’ll do Kafirana too”
Reflecting on the response to Housefull 5, Chitrangda is relieved that many took the film in the right spirit, though she acknowledges there were mixed reviews.
“I’m so glad they’re taking it in good spirit. I know opinions were divided. But like I said — have a sense of humour. We’re not making social or moral statements. We’re making an entertainer.”
She strongly believes that actors shouldn’t be boxed into just one genre or image.
“If Akshay can do an Airlift or PadMan, he can also do this genre. If I can do Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Inkaar, or films about empowered women, I will also do a Kafirana and go dance. Because I’m an actor. I’m a performer,” she said with clarity. “Every maker has an intention — and as long as the intention is good, it’s fine.”
