Welcome to the crazy, mad, funny, outlandish, outrageous, zany world of
WELCOME, directed by Anees Bazmee, who gave us the rib-tickling NO
ENTRY. Bazmee is a veteran when it comes to leave-your-brains-at-home
comic capers, having penned and helmed non-stop laughathons in the past.
The question is, does WELCOME make you break into guffaws? The question
is, does WELCOME measure up to the mammoth expectations surrounding it?
The question is, will WELCOME be as big a hit as NO ENTRY?
WELCOME follows the same path as David Dhawan and Priyadarshan
movies. The mantra is simple: Lock your brains at home, throw your worries
out of the window for the next 2 hours and get ready to embrace a world
where logic and sense have no place… In short, WELCOME remains faithful
to the genre from start to end. Bazmee borrows a bit from the likable Hugh
Grant starrer MICKEY BLUE EYES [also bears an uncanny resemblance to
SHAADI SE PEHLE] and adds loads of Indian masala to make the
proceedings spicy and tangy. Lo and behold! WELCOME succeeds in tickling
your funny bone at most places. The humour is basic and even absurd, but it works well in a film like this.
To cut a long story short, WELCOME is one of those entertainers that deliver
what it promises: Funny sequences, super performances and loads and loads of
laughter. Without doubt, WELCOME will be welcomed with open arms by the
aam junta!
Uday Shetty [Nana Patekar], Majnu [Anil Kapoor] and their boss, Sikander
Feroz Khan], are basically three Hong Kong-based serio-comic mobsters, who
are keen to get Uday’s sister Sanjana [Katrina Kaif] married into a respectable
family.
Uday, who accidentally meets the handsome bachelor Rajiv [Akshay Kumar],
gets convinced that the latter would be an appropriate match for Sanjana.
Meanwhile, Sanjana, who is totally unaware of her brother’s plans, also meets
Rajiv separately and they fall in love. She has the acceptance of Dr. Ghunghroo
Paresh Rawal], Rajiv’s uncle, who is unaware of the fact that she is Uday’s sister.
The director makes sure to open three more surprises in the post-interval hour -
- Feroz Khan, Mallika Sherawat and Vijay Raaz, who is introduced in the first
half, but gets scope only in the second half. The sequences between Nana and
Mallika and also between Anil and Mallika are truly funny. Also, the marathon
portion at the funeral is sure to bring the house down.
Of course, there’re loose ends. The pace dips in the second hour, a few jokes
seem repetitive and therefore, don’t evoke the required mirth. Also, the music
could’ve been better. Only two songs come easy on your lip [the ones that are
promoted], but the chartbusting quality is missing.
Bazmee’s direction does justice to the material. The director and his team of
writers [Rajiv Kaul, Praful Parekh] don’t deviate from the core issue and pack
the script with inane stuff, but the impact is so funny that you break into a
hysterical laughter at places. The Kaul and Parekh jodi, known for writing a
number of David Dhawan and Indra Kumar films in the past, are back in true
form after a long time.
Although WELCOME boasts of a formidable star cast and every actor handles
his/her part with effortless ease, the one who registers the maximum impact is
Nana Patekar. Nana is in terrific form, the real scene-stealer. It’s a treat to
watch this accomplished actor essay a role that’s in stark contrast to the ones
he’s known for [intense, hard-hitting characters]. His comic timing is fantastic!
Akshay is equally competent. He looks every inch the seedha-saadha guy, who is
torn between his lady love on one hand and the two factions [Paresh versus
Nana, Anil & Co.] on the other. This film should find a prominent place in his
repertoire.
Anil Kapoor comes up with yet another dhamaka. The actor compliments
Nana beautifully and handles his role with precision. Paresh Rawal is superb yet
again. He continues to make people laugh, even though he has consistently
starred in umpteen funny movies.
Although the meatier scenes are reserved for the men, there’s no denying that
Katrina gives her role the freshness that it demands. Also, she looks bewitching.
Mallika Sherawat is electrifying. Although she makes an appearance in the
second half, the confidence with which she carries her part is what works in her
favour.
Feroz Khan is in form. Vijay Raaz is first-rate yet again. Supriya Karnik, Snehal
Dhabi, Adi Irani, Mushtaq Khan and Sherveer Vakil are adequate. Suniel Shetty
is there for a scene only; he’s okay.
On the whole, WELCOME is a fun ride all the way. The tremendous hype for
the film has resulted in a tremendous start at the ticket window and the 5-day
weekend as also the lack of biggies in the subsequent weeks will help
WELCOME reach the ‘Smash Hit’ status in days to come.
Comedy was okay. Thats everythin about it. Not a great comedy though.
