Welcome to the Jungle
Director: Ahmed Khan
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Jackie Shroff, Tusshar Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lara Dutta, Disha Patani
Rating: ★★★
It is an exciting time at the movies. A Partition romance, a romantic comedy, and a horror flick are all playing in theatres simultaneously- and more importantly, all are working. Add a madcap comedy to the lineup, and audiences are genuinely spoilt for choice.
Few Hindi comedies enjoy the internet afterlife that Welcome (2007) does. It arrived before memes became a global currency, yet somehow produced some of the most popular ones. A sequel followed years later, though Welcome Back is best forgotten. So, when a third outing was announced, even with Akshay Kumar’s return to the fold, expectations were understandably kept in check even by this author.
As it turns out, lowered expectations can be a blessing. More importantly, this one is actually funny.
The premise
Directed by Ahmed Khan and written by the late Neeraj Vora, the plot revolves around a shady businessman named Sinha (Zakir Hussain). In a bid to launder his massive black money, Sinha hires film director Das (Paresh Rawal) and hands him a massive budget of ₹2,000 crore to make a movie. The catch? He needs the project to be a box-office disaster. Seizing the opportunity, Das ropes in Rajiv (Akshay Kumar), a washed-up action star desperate for a comeback. Soon, the universe expands to include the brothers of Uday and Majnu- Yeda Anna (Suniel Shetty) and Romeo (Arshad Warsi)- alongside Rajiv’s ex-girlfriend Nadia (Disha Patani), Sinha’s daughter Jenny (Jacqueline Fernandez), and a host of other quirky characters.
Things take an even crazier turn when production moves to the village of Azadpur, inhabited by Zoya (Raveena Tandon). There, the film crew is mistaken for a team of Indian Army officers sent to rescue the locals from the dreaded terrorist Zatara (Jackie Shroff). What follows is pure madness.
A madcap laugh riot
Right off the bat, the humour lands because the makers and the cast are operating on the same wavelength. The pitch is unapologetically over-the-top; the film embraces its own absurdity rather than trying to justify it logically.
The first half benefits immensely from the comic timing of veterans Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav, with Farhad Samji’s dialogues providing ample support. The gags come thick and fast, and more often than not, they land beautifully. Backed by slick production values, the first hour absolutely flies by.
The second half opens on an equally strong note, delivering plenty of laughs, but the momentum fizzles out soon. The climax stretches on far longer than necessary, and the humour begins to dry up toward the finish line. Thus, the film wraps up on an okay note. Also, barring Raveena, the female leads have very little to do. Disha and Jacqueliene are wasted. A particularly raunchy scene in the climax, featuring these two, makes no difference to the film.
The performances hold it together
Otherwise, though, Welcome To The Jungle shines in the performance department. It leans heavily on Akshay Kumar’s effortless chemistry with his Hera Pheri team- Paresh, Rajpal and Suniel Shetty. Arshad Warsi doesn’t have a lot to do here, but he adds some fun. Additionally, Farida Jalal as Badi Bi is outstanding, showing off brilliant comic timing, as does Kiran Kumar as Murad Chacha. Together, they bring the house down.
Raveena more than holds her own against the massive ensemble. Watch out for a sequence between her and Akshay where she talks about how long the village has been waiting for them; the meta chemistry is quite evident. The two of them should do a full-fledged film together.
The music by Vikram Montrose, Anand Raaj Anand, and Talwiinder is a big disappointment. Ghis Ghis works only because Akshay goes all out with those dance steps, along with Akshara Singh.
Overall, not every film needs to be profound. Some just need to entertain. Welcome To The Jungle understands that assignment from the outset and, despite an average finale, delivers enough laughs to make the ride worthwhile.