Welcome (2007 film)

Welcome
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Anees Bazmee
Written by	Anees Bazmee Rajiv Kaul Praful Parekh
Story by	Anees Bazmee
Produced by	Firoz Nadiadwala
Starring	Feroz Khan Anil Kapoor Nana Patekar Akshay Kumar Katrina Kaif Mallika Sherawat Paresh Rawal
Narrated by	Om Puri
Cinematography	Sanjay F. Gupta
Edited by	Ashfaque Makrani
Music by	Songs & Score: Sajid–Wajid Composers: Anand Raj Anand Himesh Reshammiya
Production company	Base Industries Group
Distributed by	UTV Motion Pictures
Release date	21 December 2007 (2007-12-21)
Running time	158 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹320 million[1]
Box office	₹1.22 billion[2]

Welcome is an Indian 2007 Hindi-language comedy film directed and co-written by Anees Bazmee with production by Firoz Nadiadwala.^[2] The music was composed by Anand Raj Anand and Himesh Reshammiya, with songs and score by Sajid–Wajid. Welcome stars Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Mallika Sherawat and Paresh Rawal in prominent roles.^[1][3] Sunil Shetty makes a special appearance, while Malaika Arora was cast in an item number.^[4] The film marked the last screen appearance of Khan who died in 2009.^[5] The story is loosely based on the 1999 comedy Mickey Blue Eyes.

Budgeted at ₹320 million (US$4.5 million) which includes making and marketing costs, Welcome was distributed by UTV Motion Pictures.^[6] It was theatrically released worldwide on 21 December 2007, coinciding with the Christmas festival.^[7][8] The film received mostly mixed to negative reviews from critics and faced clash from Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par. Nevertheless, Welcome went on to become the second highest grossing film of the year with global revenues of ₹1.22 billion (US$17 million).^[9] Welcome is the first installment of Welcome series and spawned a sequel, Welcome Back in 2015 that also became a commercial success.^[10] According to The Hindu, the film's climax scene is a rip-off from the Charlie Chaplin film, The Gold Rush which had been earlier used in the 1990 Tamil film Michael Madana Kama Rajan.^[11]

Plot[]

Uday, a criminal don wants to get his kind hearted half-sister Sanjana married. He fails since no one wants to be associated with his crime family. Dr. Dayal Ghunghroo has also been trying to get his nephew Rajiv, an auctioneer married, but due to his condition, the alliance must be with a purely decent family. He is also unsuccessful.

Rajiv is smitten by Sanjana. Uday and his don cousin Majnu hatch a plan for an alliance with Dayal. The plan works and he agrees, thinking Uday is a very decent man. But after knowing Uday is a mobster, Dayal flees to Sun City, South Africa with his family. Majnu and Sanjana arrive in Sun City. Rajiv meets her again and the two fall in love.

Dayal returns to Uday and Majnu and finally agrees to the alliance. The two invite a powerful don of underworld, RDX and his son Lucky, who refuses and leaves for a drink with friends. Ishika Kanojia enters, claiming to be Rajiv's childhood betrothed. She is actually Dayal's sister-in-law, who he asked to come and try to break off the engagement.

Ishika does so. Rajiv and Sanjana are heartbroken. Dayal reveals that Chitra (Rajiv's mother) was married into a crime family and got harassed and tortured thus telling Dayal to raise Rajiv away from crime when he was born. He says he'll agree only if Uday and Majnu give up their common crime life.

Rajiv and Sanjana do this by reawakening Uday's love for acting and encouraging Majnu's passion for painting. With these things keeping them busy, Uday and Majnu have no time for crime any more.

Rajiv's actions anger Lucky, who attempts to shoot Rajiv. Sanjana gets hold of the gun and fires a shot that hits Lucky, causing him to go unconscious. RDX is informed of Lucky's death and comes to attend the cremation. However Lucky, who is still alive, escapes, trying to show his father that he's actually alive. RDX sets the pile of wood on fire, believing he is cremating his son's body. However Lucky, who had been hiding under the wood, jumps out upon realising the wood is on fire, and the truth is revealed to RDX. Rajiv, Dayal, his wife Payal, Ishika, Uday, Majnu and Sanjana are captured by RDX and brought to a cabin set next to a cliff. The frightened group is forced to play Passing the Parcel (Hot Potato) with a globe — but the one who ends up with the globe must jump off the cliff. When Rajiv refuses to pass the globe to Sanjana, Lucky angrily yanks it out of his hands, just as the music stops. Now that his son has the globe, RDX figures the only way he can maintain his image is by killing everyone. Before he can, several government brokers sneak up and cut the footings of the cabin, causing the house to start falling over the cliff, with everyone trapped inside. However, the cabin is suspended by only one column.

Hilarious chaos ensues as the group tries to balance the cabin together and keep it from falling off the cliff. Rajiv finds a rope and the group uses it to get back onto stable ground. But to everyone's shock, the floor breaks and Lucky is found hanging on the edge of the cabin. While Rajiv is trying to rescue him, Sanjana reveals the truth to everyone that she was the one who shot Lucky, but Rajiv blamed himself so that Sanjana wouldn't get in trouble. After Rajiv rescues Lucky, the cabin he is standing on falls off into the cliff. Sanjana keeps crying for him thinking he is dead. However, Rajiv survives the event and is reunited with Sanjana and his family. Lucky and RDX are grateful to Rajiv for saving their lives and RDX gives up his life of crime, allowing Rajiv and Sanjana to finally get married. However, they realise that Ishika fooled them along with Rajiv, as a part of his plan to marry Sanjana. This angers Uday and Majnu, who decide to kill Rajiv as he escapes along with Sanjana and Ishika, but are unsuccessful.

Cast[]

Crew[]

• Director = Anees Bazmee
• Story,Screenplay & Dialogues = Anees Bazmee, Rajiv Kaul, Praful Parekh
• Art Director = Priten Patil
• Action Director = Abbas Ali Mughal
• Choreographers = Ahmed Khan & Bosco Ceasar
• Director of Photography = Sanjay F Gupta
• Editor = Ashfaque Makrani

Soundtrack[]

The soundtrack was composed by Anand Raj Anand, Himesh Reshammiya and Sajid–Wajid. The lyrics were penned by Anand Raj Anand, Sameer, Shabbir Ahmed, Ibrahim Ashq and Anjaan Sagiri.^[6][12] According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 15,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's fifth highest-selling.^[13]

Track listing[]

Reception[]

Box Office[]

At the box office, Welcome opened to a massive response locally, by grossing ₹350 million (US$4.9 million) on its opening week.^[16] Despite facing competition from the popular Aamir Khan-starrer, Taare Zameen Par which was also a huge success, Welcome grossed ₹700 million (US$9.8 million) domestically.^[17] It became the second highest-grossing film of 2007, just behind Om Shanti Om. The worldwide gross was around ₹1.22 billion (US$17 million).^[2]

Critical Response[]

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film a 4 out of 5 stars, and stated "Welcome is one of those entertainers that deliver what it promises: Funny sequences, super performances and loads and loads of laughter. Without doubt, it will be welcomed with open arms by the aam junta!".^[18] Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, and stated "Go for end-of-the-year gags and season-of-goodwill giggles."^[19] Hindustan Times stated, "Akshay Kumar has a flair for comedy but even that is beginning to bore which is quiet evident in Welcome."^[20] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, and stated "it's the extraordinary camaraderie between the actors, completely consumed by the foolhardiness that surrounds them, that tickles the bone. And hard."^[21] Filmi Beat gave the movie 2 out of 5 stars, and stated "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."^[22]

Tajpal Rathore of BBC gave the film 3 out 5 stars, and stated "Comedies should always be taken lightly in Bollywood and Welcome is as zany as they come. And while it emerges as an addition to Kumar's repertoire of films that have little style and even less substance, it is the formidable ensemble cast that ultimately succeed in welcoming you to the theatre hall."^[23] Rajeev Masand gave the film 1 out of 5 stars, and stated "Welcome the tortuous comedy."^[24]

Sequel[]

A sequel to the film, titled Welcome Back has been released. The sequel features John Abraham, Shruti Haasan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal. Earlier reported to release on 19 December 2014, the project finally released on 4 September 2015.^[25]

References[]

External links[]

• Welcome at IMDb