Welcome To The Jungle, the third installment of the Welcome franchise, rightfully evokes nostalgia at several moments, but in an era when method-driven cinema, realistic storytelling, and content-oriented films are dominating, the comedy-action film comes across as an old bottle of wine in a fresh package. The film is made with the classic formula of slapstick comedy, chaotic situations, patriotism, and multi-starrer, delivering a nostalgic throwback to the loud entertainers of the past.
The Plot
It all begins with a politician (Brijendra Kala) warning the corrupt tycoon (Zakir Hussain) that if the former’s political party fails to come to power, the latter may be raided by the income tax department. Worried by the warning, the tycoon calls an urgent meeting and even orders his daughter (Jacqueline Fernandez) to join him to pitch ideas to save his Kingdom from a raid. After a couple of flop ideas, Dubey (Johnny Lever), the tycoon’s manager, suggests making a high-budget flop film to cover up, and this works quite well for him.
Soon, Dev (Rajpal Yadav) and Das (Paresh Rawal) are roped in as directors, with Nainsukh (Shreyas Talpade) as the cameraman, but he can see very little. The trio brings in Rajeev Akshay Kumar, an actor who was once a star but now works in C-grade Bhojpuri films. While Rajeev looks disinterested, his manager (Tusshar Kapoor) convinces him, and they land a big deal. However, Dev and Das are held captive by the Dons— Yeda Anna (Suniel Shetty) and Romeo (Arshad Warsi). As they find Dev and Das making a movie, they force their way into the film, with the two having just one agenda—to replace Rajeev as the lead.
And if you think that’s it, wait, because the drama and confusion multiply with Nadia (Disha Patani), who plays a famous actress in the film and is Rajeev’s ex too. The film also features Krishna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Yashpal Sharma, and Mukesh Tiwari, and what happens next is filled with comedy, action, drama, love, and plenty of confusion and surprises.
What works
While we can say the film’s biggest strength is its huge cast, even that couldn’t add value. The film embraces its brainless comic nature, delivering a series of comic moments, misunderstandings, chaos, and over-the-top moments with a dash of patriotism and emotions. At times, the jokes landed effectively, prompting genuine laughter, but at other points, they felt repetitive and stretched. Some moments literally made one laugh; however, overall, even the entertaining sequences work in bits and pieces.
What doesn’t work
Well, though the film makes one laugh, it falls flat at some points. The beginning felt quite dull until Rajpal Yadav and Paresh Rawal’s entry. At some points, the jokes felt forced into the scene, but from the moment Akshay Kumar comes in, it feels much better, and from then on, the graph improves. The pacing was fine, but at times it felt slow. In addition, the film’s narrative lacks freshness and feels dated, given the era in which audiences seek stronger storytelling. The film is a light-hearted entertainer that offers momentary fun but struggles to leave a lasting impact.
Performances
Akshay Kumar as Rajeev is entertaining, giving that old Raju vibes. Even though he is in his late 50s, he looks younger. His action sequences were impressive, while comedy and emotions always entertained. Suniel Shetty was stylish, entertaining, and more authoritative, and he owned moments, especially the action sequences. Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav were the driving forces. Jacqueline Fernandez looked glamorous, while Disha brought action, drama, and sparkle. Johnny Lever was hilarious, while Shreyas Talpade commands attention. Arshad Warsi is a swagger and entertaining.
In the second half, Farida Jajal and Kiran Kumar were the absolute surprise with their unique way of speaking, adding to the chaos and confusion. And to be honest, they made us laugh the most. Jackie Shroff caught attention with his deadly yet comic personality.
Urvashi Rautela, though appeared in a cameo, played a catalyst in the story. At the same time, Akshay Kumar’s dual role added to the fun at the end. Raveena Tandon added emotional depth, while Lara Dutta won hearts as an action instructor.
Zakir Hussain, Aftab Shivdasani, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Yashpal Sharma, Mukesh Tiwari, Vindu Dara Singh, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroz Khan, the late Pankaj Dheer, Sudesh Berry, Jeetu Verma, Vrihi Kodvara, Adityaa Singgh, and Bhagya Bhanushali —all added comedy, chaos, and drama to the overall narrative.
Despite the film featuring many actors, director Ahmed Khan effectively gave each one their time to shine and command the audience’s attention. The cinematography was impressive, and the dialogue was fine, but could have been better.
Welcome To The Jungle, produced by Base Industries Group in association with Seeta Films, Cape of Good Films, and AA Films, is a decent watch that promises nostalgia with brainless comical potpourri that delivers in bits and pieces. Though the film has powerful actors and characters, it struggles to leave a lasting impact.
IWMBuzz rates Welcome To The Jungle 2.5 out of 5 stars!
