Banner: Puja Entertainment
Producer: Vashu Bhagnani & Uzair Junejo
Director: Ashish R Mohan
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Jackky Bhagnani, Lauren Gottlieb, Kirris Riviere, Ayub Khoso, Adnan Shah & Imran Hasnee
Music: Rochak Kohli, Jeet Ganguly Komail Shayan (KK) & Amjad Nadeem
Director Ashish R. Mohan in his debut directorial offering ‘Khiladi 786’ had a very successful inning but he has totally disappointed in his 2nd directorial outing ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’. Well! God – The Almighty save his fast sinking directorial ship is all I can say.
‘Welcome 2 Karachi’ starts of on a very unwelcome note. A ‘business dealing’ party is organized by Mitesh Patel (Dalip Tahil), who convinces a client to have their wedding party atop his chartered boat that’s being ‘captained’ by Shammi Thakur (Arshad Warsi) & Kedar Patel (Jackky Bhagnani). This also comes as a blessing in disguise for Shammi & Kedar to go to USA by boat, because they have always faced rejection whenever they had applied for a USA visa (by flight). Amidst the mid-sea party atop the boat, they encounter a sudden storm that washes them away all the way to Karachi (Pakistan). What happens out there is a series of misunderstanding, miscommunication and everything else that leads to the 2 boys landing up in messy situations. While Shammi disguises as a doctor and is forced to delivery a baby a la Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots style, the dumb Kedar roams around in a sherwani that has a bullet hole right near his chest. After a failed attempt to steal pizza, Shammi & Kedar land up in front of a deadly don. What follows after this are chance encounters of the duo with the likes of Taliban, ISI, jihadis, Pakistani Ministers, & Intelligence Bureau, which try to their best to keep the viewers ‘entertained’ throughout the film but in vain. If that wasn’t enough, there is a cross country firing that involves the likes of China, Pakistan, Israel, USA and many others. It is only towards the end that the film manges to pick up and has Shammi & Kedar trying to save a bunch of ‘special children’ from the evil hands of a Taliban, that is about to blow the plane carrying those children.
There are confusions galore throughout the film. Reason? Everything moves in a topsy turvy way right from the word go. Right from the 1st frame, one has to endure the nonsensical script, forced humor & amateurish VFX. Which makes the total film meaningless.
Performance wise it is only Arshad Warsi who manages to hold the show. Whereas Jackky Bhagnani has to join an acting school again to polish up his dormant acting skills. Lauren Gottlieb is one more addition to the long list of the existing glam dolls of Bollywood. That apart the supporting actors like Kirris Riviere, Ayub Khoso, Adnan Shah & Imran Hasnee just about pass muster.
Tail Piece: Stay miles away from the theatres still screening ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’.