Akshay Kumar
Akshay KumarVarinder Chawla

The successful "Housefull" series, with Akshay Kumar in the lead, is lining up a third instalment.

"Housefull" and "Housefull 2", the two previous films in the comedy series, featured Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh, and now Abhishek Bachchan will join the cast for the third flick, reported The Times of India.

The Kumar-Bachchan team is expected to bring the entertainment element to the fore. And since Bachchan has already proved his comic calibre in films like "Bol Bachchan", the choice to cast him comes across a wise one.

Interestingly, Bachchan has previously worked with Kumar in "Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya" (2002). However, there has been no development on the film's female leads and the rest of the cast yet.

Deepika Padukone and Lara Dutt had featured in the "Housefull", while the sequel featured quite a few heroines - Jacqueline Fernandes, Asin Thottumkal, Zarine Khan and Shazahn Padamsee.

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the third film will have a major change as Sajid Khan, who had helmed the previous films in the series, has been replaced by director duo Sajid-Farhad. The duo is set to make their directorial debut in the soon-to-be-released "It's Entertainment" featuring Kumar and Tamannaah Bhatia.

While "Housefull 2" proved quite successful, raking in ₹100 crore at the box office, it remains to be seen whether Kumar and Bachchan can recreate a similar magic together.

(Edited by Vishnuprasad S Pillai)