Twenty years after a screwball comedy redefined Bollywood's summer season, Rohit Shetty rolls cameras again in the Nilgiri hills — this time with a red motorcycle trike, a returning original cast member, and one of Hindi cinema's biggest superstar surprises. The tagline that has caught fire across social media — "Iss baar sawaari badi hai" — was no accident. Rohit Shetty's team was spotted filming around a massive, custom-built red motorcycle trike that seems almost comically oversized. It's visual humour before a single frame of the actual film has been released. That's vintage Golmaal.
The OG Gang Is Back — And Sharman Joshi's Return Is the Emotional Core
Among all the announcements swirling around Golmaal 5, the one generating the most genuine emotion is the return of Sharman Joshi. He played Laxman in the original 2006 Golmaal: Fun Unlimited — the bright-eyed, innocent foil to Ajay Devgn's scheming Gopal. He was then replaced by Shreyas Talpade from Golmaal Returns (2008) onwards, and his absence became a quiet ache for franchise loyalists.
Now, nearly two decades later, he's back. Rohit Shetty shared a nostalgic video on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: "Riding through positive vibes since 20 years." Fans flooded the comments with a simple, delighted verdict: "THE OG'S ARE BACK."
The core ensemble assembled for the Ooty schedule reads like a comedy hall-of-fame roll call: Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Kemmu, Shreyas Talpade, Sharman Joshi, Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Vrajesh Hirjee. That is not a film cast — that is a generational gathering.
The Akshay Kumar Wildcard: Villain, Tantrik, or Something Else Entirely?
If Sharman Joshi's return is the warm reunion fans expected, Akshay Kumar's casting is the curveball nobody saw coming. Reports suggest Kumar is joining the franchise — and what's particularly intriguing is the nature of his role. Industry buzz, citing a Variety India report, points toward him playing an antagonist. But other accounts describe a "quirky tantrik-style character" with a distinctive bald look — an avatar Akshay Kumar has never inhabited on screen before.
This ambiguity is deliberate. Rohit Shetty has a long history of managing surprise reveals — from Neil Nitin Mukesh's villain turn in Golmaal Again to Tabu's supernatural arc in the same film. An official announcement on Akshay Kumar's character is likely being saved for a trailer or a separate reveal campaign. What is clear is that his entry fundamentally changes the franchise's star power calculus.
"Rohit Shetty wants to ensure the storytelling is as taut as the first two parts."— Source close to production, via Mid-Day
What Is Golmaal 5 About? The Treasure Hunt Angle Explained
While the plot remains officially under wraps, production sources have pointed to a consistent theme: a hidden treasure hunt. According to reports, the Golmaal gang stumbles into a chaotic search for a mysterious hidden treasure, leading to the kind of cascading misadventures the franchise is beloved for. Think less supernatural horror (Golmaal Again's ghost track) and more slapstick adventure rooted in the earthy humour of the first two films.
This narrative direction is interesting for two reasons. First, a treasure hunt lends itself naturally to grand outdoor locations — explaining why Ooty, with its rolling hills and colonial-era architecture, serves as a perfect backdrop. Second, it signals that Shetty is course-correcting toward the tighter, plot-driven comedy of Golmaal: Fun Unlimited and Golmaal Returns, rather than the more sprawling, effects-heavy Golmaal Again.
Why Ooty? Rohit Shetty's Signature Location Strategy
Rohit Shetty's use of Ooty is not new — he shot a major portion of Golmaal Again in the Nilgiri hills back in June 2017. The town's misty forests, winding mountain roads, and visually distinct landscape offer the perfect canvas for his large-scale outdoor sequences. For Golmaal 5, the location also carries symbolic weight: returning to Ooty is a deliberate visual callback to the franchise's most successful chapter.
There's also a practical dimension. Rohit Shetty's cinema has always prioritised spectacle in natural settings — whether it's Goa in his cop universe or Ooty in the Golmaal world. The massive red motorcycle trike spotted on set suggests the Ooty schedule involves at least one major set-piece centred on vehicles, very much in keeping with his filmmaking DNA.
What Happens Next: Timeline & Release Outlook
The Ooty schedule is one of several planned across the production calendar. Earlier reports had indicated a Goa schedule was being considered for late 2025, with Mumbai's Film City serving for indoor portions. With the Ooty leg now confirmed as underway in April 2026, the production appears broadly on track for Shetty's stated goal of a 2027 theatrical release — likely targeting a major holiday window.
Historically, Rohit Shetty has preferred Diwali or Christmas releases for his tent-pole films. Given the franchise's past success at Diwali (Golmaal Again, 2017), the festive season of 2027 remains the most plausible target — though no official date has been announced.
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