Rohit Shetty is bringing the Golmaal gang back to cinemas, and this time the reunion comes with a major new addition.
Golmaal 5 will release theatrically on January 8, 2027, with Ajay Devgn returning alongside Arshad Warsi, Kunal Kemmu, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor and Sharman Joshi. Akshay Kumar is also joining the franchise for the first time, adding a fresh comic dynamic to one of Hindi cinema’s longest-running comedy series. The release arrives during Golmaal’s 20-year journey, which began with Golmaal: Fun Unlimited in 2006.
The timing gives Golmaal 5 an important place in the franchise’s history. The original film arrived in 2006, followed by Golmaal Returns in 2008, Golmaal 3 in 2010 and Golmaal Again in 2017. Across those films, Rohit Shetty built a recognisable world around Ajay Devgn and a rotating ensemble of comic characters. The fifth chapter now brings several familiar performers together again, making the new film both a continuation and a nostalgic reunion.
Akshay Kumar’s entry is arguably the most intriguing new element. The actor has already appeared in a bald look connected to the film, immediately raising questions about his character. Variety India previously reported that Akshay Kumar has been cast as the antagonist, while also reporting that the story would introduce fantasy elements. Those details remain reported rather than fully explained by the makers, but they point towards a different kind of Golmaal conflict.
The casting also reunites Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar after their collaboration on Sooryavanshi, but the setting is completely different. Instead of the action-cop world associated with that film, Golmaal 5 places the trio inside a comedy franchise built around confusion, friendship and chaos.
For original fans, Sharman Joshi’s return may be the most nostalgic development. Sharman Joshi appeared in Golmaal: Fun Unlimited in 2006 as Laxman and did not return for the subsequent instalments. His comeback nearly two decades later restores a face from the franchise’s beginning.
It is important not to confuse his original Laxman with Kunal Kemmu’s Laxman, who became part of the later films. Bringing Sharman Joshi back therefore adds a direct link to the franchise’s first chapter while keeping the later ensemble intact.
Reports about the fifth film have suggested that Rohit Shetty is taking the franchise towards fantasy comedy, moving beyond the purely situational humour that defined earlier instalments. Variety India has specifically reported fantasy elements, while other reports have discussed a reduced focus on conventional romance. Until the makers reveal more about the story, those creative details should be treated as reported developments rather than confirmed plot points.
That possible shift could allow the familiar gang to enter a stranger, more imaginative world without abandoning the comic identity audiences associate with Golmaal. The emphasis appears to remain on the ensemble and the unpredictable situations that can emerge when these characters are thrown together.
With Ajay Devgn leading the returning group, Sharman Joshi reconnecting the film to its 2006 beginning and Akshay Kumar bringing an entirely new presence, Golmaal 5 has a distinctly reunion-driven appeal. Rohit Shetty’s January 8, 2027 release date now gives audiences a clear point on the calendar for the franchise’s next chapter.
For a franchise that has survived changing trends and long gaps between instalments, that reunion gives the fifth film a celebratory edge for viewers.
After two decades of Golmaal madness, the question is no longer whether the gang is returning. They are. The real curiosity is what kind of comic chaos Rohit Shetty has prepared when these familiar faces, and Akshay Kumar’s mysterious new character, finally collide on the big screen.
