If one goes by the adage that a man
is known by what he laughs at, Anees Bazmee has a very poor opinion on the
intelligence and sensitivity of the aggregate Indian viewership. Not that the
prequel did not prepare you sufficiently. Also not that it is something the
audience is not used to. A film starring the likes of Nana Patekar should put
it all in perspective. Most importantly the film showcase by absence of the
importance of Akshay Kumar as an actor in the context of ‘commercial cinema’.
May be Karan Johar and Yash Chopra have not directed him but his absence, you
understand, how he lifts mediocrity to a working space of acceptance. In
contrast John Abraham fails and with it goes Welcome Back. It is Mad Party, but
do not go by what you saw at the earlier outing.
Uday Shetty (Nana Patekar) and Majnu (Anil Kapoor) have moved on to the garish
loud locales at Dubai. It is over half a decade that they bid farewell to the
‘old bad ways’ and have settled down to more respectable ways. Their skin may
be clean but their souls are not cleansed. The two often debate the
metamorphosis. They however haven’t given up opulence and hangers on, including
Mushtaq Khan. The old bachelors still have a roving eye till it settles of
bikini clad Chandini (Ankita Shrivastav) who with Maharani Padmavathi are out
to sponge on the brothers. The con artists are out to woo the brothers.
Ghungroo (Paresh Rawal – prim and propah!) is told by wife (Supriya Karmik)
that she has a son from another marriage. They leave for Dubai to meet Beta who
is on the roads with huge cut outs and gangs – Ajju (John Abraham). Uday’s Dad
(another Nana Patekar Avtar) announces the existence of a daughter from a
previous marriage and tells Uday that he can get married only after the new
found daughter Ranjana (Shruti Hassan) is married. As the groom hunt goes on,
Ranjana and Ajju fall in love. Uday is stuck with the ‘Bhagwan ka diya hua sab
kuch hai’ and insists his part sibling marry a gentleman which in the Anees
Bazmee is a huge call. Ajju thus clads himself in tuxedoes to prove he is a
gentleman and gets a pair of glasses to make a spectacle!!
So we have Majnu and Uday wooing Chandini, Ajju and Ranjana in romance. Enter
Wanted Bhai (Naseer) replacement for RDX (Feroz Khan) who lives like he is the
richest and the most powerful – albeit corrupt guy on earth. He is willing to
do anything for son Honey (Shiney Ahuja – yes Shiney Ahuja!!). Honey loves
Ranjana!!
The chaos of gun shots and killings, one liners and crude jokes take you to the
desert and you have some take at humour that robs the film of what little
sanity it had hitherto garnered. The film maker has a very unapologetic take on
humour and entertainment. Take it or leave it. Do not analyse it. The dark
sofas, huge chandeliers, turns up an overkill of Dubai and wealth. You have
actors like Ranjeet walk in and out of the script. You have Mushtaq Khan wasted
yet again, as is with Rajpal Yadav.
Nana Patekar is far more sober than you expect. He obviously and repeatedly
tells himself: control, control. Anil Kapoor is his usual self – trying visibly
hard to get into the skin of his outing. You don’t talk of his dress sense. It
is clearly designed to be loud. Wonder if he and Nana Patekar could have
prevailed on the film maker to avoid the burial ground episode. At least the
Editor (Steven Bernard) should have put his foot down. Naseer is woefully out
of touch. Not a moment of the famous halo is out there to see. He hams. Paresh
Rawal is his usual good self.
A very noisy chaotic welcome. Avoidable.
Rating : two stars
+ one liners and Paresh Rawal
– Crass and too long.
L. Ravichander.
N.B.: Who told Dimple that Maharanis wear horrendous pinks?