'Welcome 3' review: Ahmed Khan's comedy is ridiculous and unfunny
What's the story
With its ensemble cast of over 30 actors, lavish production, and interesting cameos, Ahmed Khan's Welcome to the Jungle makes some big promises. But its hollowness becomes evident within minutes. It's packed to the brim with scale and stars, but this alleged comedy forgets to deliver laughs. Welcome 3 is so chaotic and atrocious that it gives Humshakals a run for its money.
Plot
A group of goofy people want to make flop film
Welcome to the Jungle follows a corrupt businessman who decides to launder ₹2,000 crore of black money by producing a "flop" film. Rajeev (Akshay Kumar) leads the cast for this project, alongside Nadia (Disha Patani), Yeda Anna (Suniel Shetty), and Romeo (Arshad Warsi). However, things go awry when they have to take on terrorist Zatara (Jackie Shroff) while shooting in a village.
Information
Meet the ensemble cast of 'Welcome to the Jungle'
Welcome to the Jungle also stars Farida Jalal, Kiran Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Shreyas Talpade, Jacqueline Fernandez, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Aftab Shivdasani, and Hemant Pandey, among others. Rajpal Yadav and Paresh Rawal play a director duo named Dev and Das, respectively.
#1
Kumar must re-think his script choices
The horrors of Bhooth Bangla and Housefull 5 are still fresh, and Kumar has now added another project to this list of forgettable films. His return to the comedy genre has been surprisingly underwhelming; are such ventures even worth it if they're simply three hours of meandering madness? With such movies, Kumar is putting his glorious legacy at risk.
#2
So many good actors, but no memorable performance
Everybody who is anybody in Bollywood comedy finds a place in this overstuffed, overwritten film. There's everlasting joy in watching fine actors like Warsi, Yadav, and Rawal, but very few actors get anything memorable to do. I have never seen so many artists fail spectacularly because the script and dialogues are so off-putting. I flinched due to second-hand embarrassment.
#3
Farhad Samji, once again, writes offensive dialogues
The dialogues are credited to Farhad Samji, who has previously directed forgettable projects like Pop Kaun? and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Expectedly, the film runs on ableist and racist "jokes." The gags go like this: Talpade's character has poor eyesight, another important character lisps, and Dev is trolled over his short height. Are disabilities supposed to be funny?
#4
More on the above aspect
Bollywood comedy has rapidly regressed, and with gags like these, it dies a little more. Samji has made his entire career by laughing at deformities and keeps getting away with it. Critics are often branded too "sensitive," but humanity and inclusivity shouldn't be so hard to come by. The onus also lies with Kumar; as the lead actor, he should have stepped up.
#5
Leaves you exhausted and confused
The film has some fun meta moments, but they aren't enough to sustain you through a grueling 164 minutes. The transition between scenes is jarring, cameos pop up randomly, and the characters explain all the jokes. Less a film and more an atrocity you survive, Welcome 3 wastes a promising premise. I have never been more desperate for a movie to end.
#6
Never realizes its potential
Welcome 3 seems to have been made to cater to the Instagram generation with a dwindling attention span, so there are sporadic, brief moments of delight. Ultimately, what should have been a fun film about lovable losers turns into a blatant cash-grab. Leave-your-brains-at-home comedies can be gloriously amusing, but the term cannot be an excuse for abysmal writing and lifeless execution.
Verdict
Skip this and re-watch 'Welcome' instead; 1.5/5 stars
Khan throws everything at the wall in the hope that something sticks, and the result is a bloated mess. Patani barely gets any dialogues, Lara Dutta has an excessively loud character, and several supporting actors get only a line or two. In one scene, an exasperated Rajeev asks, "Aye, comedy chal raha hai kya idhar?" The answer is a resounding no. 1.5/5 stars.