Review: Welcome To The Jungle – An Enjoyable Madcap Comedy!
The Welcome franchise is one of Bollywood’s most loved comedy film series, known for its hilarious characters, witty dialogues, and entertaining storylines. The first film, Welcome (2007), was a massive box-office success and became a cult comedy featuring Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Feroz Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Mallika Sherawat. Its memorable characters, especially Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai, continue to enjoy immense popularity among audiences. The sequel, Welcome Back (2015), also performed well commercially and carried forward the franchise’s legacy of laughter and entertainment. Now, the much-awaited third installment, Welcome To The Jungle, reunites Akshay Kumar with an ensemble cast, promising grand-scale comedy, action, and adventure.
A wealthy businessman decides to invest ₹2,000 crore in making a flop film to evade taxes by showing massive losses. His manager (Johny Lever) and daughter (Jacqueline Fernandez) sign a washed-up Bhojpuri film hero (Akshay Kumar) and his ex-girlfriend (Disha Patani) for the project. Two goons (Suniel Shetty and Arshad Warsi), who are descendants of Majnu and Uday Shetty from the previous Welcome films, force their way into the movie. The director duo (Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav) takes the entire unit into a jungle for the shoot, where they encounter a real-life threat from a terrorist (Jackie Shroff) and his gang. How they complete the ‘shoot’ while escaping real ‘shooting’ forms the crux of the story.
The Welcome franchise has always relied on madcap comedy, and this third installment carries that legacy forward. The screenplay moves at a brisk pace, which is the film’s biggest strength. Although the runtime is a bit long, many of the one-liners land well and evoke genuine laughter. The director has managed the enormous ensemble cast efficiently, ensuring that each of the 28 actors gets a moment to shine.
The production values are lavish, and the cinematography beautifully captures the lush surroundings while enhancing the glamour of the leading ladies. The music is good, with the remixed version of “Uncha Lamba Kad” standing out. A novel idea introduced by the director is placing a romantic song at the interval. The song is a highlight and may even lead to a decline in popcorn sales during the interval!
Akshay Kumar once again nails his character, and his impeccable comic timing significantly elevates the narrative. His action sequences, especially the helicopter scenes, are particularly impressive. Disha Patani and Jacqueline Fernandez look stunning and deliver decent performances. Farida Jalal is outstanding in the film. Suniel Shetty, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, Arshad Warsi, Aftab Shivdasani, Raveena Tandon, and Tusshar Kapoor provide solid support, making the film immensely entertaining.
Overall, Welcome To The Jungle is an enjoyable entertainer—as long as you leave your logical brain at home.
Rating: ***
By Keerti Kadam