Review: Welcome Back is arguably 2015’s silliest film!

Welcome Back, a sequel to the 2007 film Welcome is an action comedy film directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Firoz Nadiadwala. Does it match the non-sensical quotient of the first film? Let’s find out!

The film begins on a chastening note where the Laurel and Hardy goons Uday Shetty (Nana Patekar) and Majnu (Anil Kapoor) have transformed to simple tons. They are now hoteliers in Dubai and have given up completely on ‘bhaigiri’ since the past 7 years. Like the previous film, they both fall for the same girl i.e. Princess Chandni (Ankita Shrivastava) who leaves no stone unturned in fooling them and looting them of their money. Chandni’s mother (Dimple Kapadia) plays Maharani. Another repeat from the first film is a new half-sister of Uday bhai, Ranjhana (Shruti Hasan) whom he has the responsibility to get married before he ties the knot himself. The biggest challenge is to look for a sober, non-goon groom for their sister. Obviously they turn to Dr. Ghungroo (Paresh Rawal) who is ‘shareef’ and in Uday’s own words everything in his house is shareef including the mosquitoes fluttering there.

As Uday discovers he has a new half-sister, Dr. Ghungroo discovers he has a step son Ajay (John Abraham) based in Mumbai. And even before Ghungroo has met his son, he is forced to betroth him to Ranjhana. But Ajay is Ajju bhai, the famous don of Mumbai who has created havoc in Mumbai. In one of the biggest co-incidences, Ranjhana falls for the same guy Ajju in Mumbai. With his outlandish action scenes, Ajju forces the simpletons Uday and Majnu to get back to ‘bhaigiri’(becoming goons). Ajju and the Uday Majnu duo are at loggerheads with each other. The groom is replaced and a bigger don Wanted Bhai (Naseeruddin Shah) is approached to stop disruptions in marriage. Wanted Bhai’s son Honey (Shiney Ahuja) is a drug addict who is madly in love with Ranjhana without even knowing her. Wanted bhai is frantically looking for Ranjhana to get Honey married to her. Uday Majnu problems intensify! What follows is a roller coaster of hilarity and nonsensical dialogues. 

The biggest strengths of the film are the dialogues by Raj Shandaliya and tomfoolery by Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal. Even Naseeruddin Shah is funny in his second-half appearance.  The silly one-liners by this team will keep tickling your funny bones even after you exit the theatre. Of particular mention are scenes where Wanted Bhai hits bulls-eye all the time despite being blind. Turns out that he hits the dart first and attaches the target later at the place of the dart! Other funny moments would be when Ajju addresses Uday Majnu as Senior citizens. The whole graveyard scene where Uday Majnu play Antakshari with the ghosts keeps you in splits. It is a pleasure to watch Anil Kapoor sing and dance to the tune of ‘My Name is Lakhan’ with the same energy after more than 2 decades. Last but not the least funny is the climax which is a sandstorm (literally) of stupidity.

John Abraham’s macho man avatar is good but Akshay Kumar is thoroughly missed. Rajpal Yadav’s special appearance adds to the giggles.

The soundtracks are completely forgettable and are a sheer waste of screen time of the 153 minute film. The costumes are good and so is the screenplay.

To conclude in the film’s own style, ‘film me sab kuch hai-daulat hai, shaurat hai, dialogue bus akal ki kami hai!’ Welcome back is another keep your brains at home material from Nadiawala, which can be arguably the silliest film of 2015.

Reviewed by- Dolly Bolly