Golmaal is an Indian Hindi-language comedy film franchise directed by Rohit Shetty and produced primarily under the banners of Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision and Reliance Entertainment, with later instalments produced by Rohit Shetty Picturez. The franchise is known for its slapstick humour, ensemble casts, action set pieces and recurring characters built around the actor Ajay Devgn. As of the most recent instalment, the series consists of four feature films released between 2006 and 2017, with a fifth instalment having been publicly announced.
The Golmaal series is regarded as one of the most commercially successful Hindi comedy franchises of the 2000s and 2010s, helping establish Rohit Shetty as a leading director of mainstream Hindi entertainers and contributing to a broader trend of multi-starrer comedies in Bollywood.
Key facts
| Type | Film franchise (Hindi cinema) |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, slapstick, action comedy |
| Director | Rohit Shetty |
| Lead actor (recurring) | Ajay Devgn |
| First film | Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006) |
| Latest film | Golmaal Again (2017) |
| Number of films | 4 (released) |
| Production companies | Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, Reliance Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Picturez |
| Distribution | Reliance Entertainment (later instalments) |
| Language | Hindi |
Background
The franchise takes its name from the Hindi-Urdu word golmaal, meaning confusion or muddle. The title was earlier associated with Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 1979 comedy Golmaal starring Amol Palekar, but Rohit Shetty's films are unrelated in plot to that earlier work. Shetty's series is built on physical comedy, ensemble interplay, exaggerated action sequences (often involving stylised car stunts) and broad humour, frequently featuring characters with comic disabilities, mistaken identities and rivalries between groups of friends.
Films
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006)
The first instalment, released in 2006, was produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. It starred Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi and Tusshar Kapoor as four young men who con a blind elderly couple, with Rimi Sen in the female lead and Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Mukherjee in supporting roles. The film was a commercial success and established the template of an ensemble of mischievous protagonists.
Golmaal Returns (2008)
The second film, released in 2008, brought back Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade, with Kareena Kapoor and Celina Jaitly in lead female roles. The plot revolved around marital misunderstandings and was largely a stand-alone story sharing the franchise's tone rather than continuing the original narrative. Sharman Joshi did not return for this instalment.
Golmaal 3 (2010)
Released during Diwali 2010, Golmaal 3 featured Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Mithun Chakraborty and Ratna Pathak Shah. The story centred on two sets of step-siblings forced to live together after their parents reunite. It was among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2010 and is generally considered a major commercial milestone for the franchise.
Golmaal Again (2017)
The fourth film, released on 20 October 2017 (Diwali), introduced supernatural elements into the comedy framework. The cast included Ajay Devgn, Parineeti Chopra, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Tabu, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Prakash Raj. Golmaal Again was produced by Rohit Shetty Picturez along with Reliance Entertainment and Mangl Murti Films. It was a major box-office success and ranks among the highest-grossing Hindi films of its year.
Golmaal Five (announced)
A fifth instalment, generally referred to as Golmaal Five, has been publicly announced by Rohit Shetty as part of his planned slate. Casting and release details have not been finalised in firm public records.
Recurring cast and characters
- Ajay Devgn as Gopal — the short-tempered leader of the group, present in all four films.
- Arshad Warsi as Madhav — appears in all four films.
- Tusshar Kapoor as Lucky — a mute character who communicates through gestures, present across the series.
- Shreyas Talpade as Laxman — a stammering character, introduced in Golmaal Returns.
- Kunal Khemu as Laxman 2, introduced in Golmaal 3.
- Sharman Joshi as Laxman in the original 2006 film.
Music
The soundtracks of the franchise have been composed primarily by Pritam, with additional contributions from other composers in some films. Background scores for the later instalments have been handled by Amar Mohile, a regular collaborator of Rohit Shetty. Title and item songs from the series, including the Golmaal title track, have been widely popular.
Significance
The Golmaal series is widely credited with reviving the multi-starrer ensemble comedy in mainstream Hindi cinema in the late 2000s. It helped consolidate Rohit Shetty's signature style of large-scale action-comedy, which he later extended to the Singham, Simmba and Sooryavanshi films, all of which form part of the broader Rohit Shetty Cop Universe. The franchise also strengthened Ajay Devgn's profile in comedy after his earlier reputation as a primarily action and dramatic actor.