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Welcome (2007 film)

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Welcome
The poster features entire ensembled star-cast. The film title appears at top.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAnees Bazmee
Written by
  • Anees Bazmee
  • Rajiv Kaul
  • Praful Parekh
Produced byFiroz Nadiadwala
Starring
Narrated byOm Puri
CinematographySanjay F. Gupta
Edited byAshfaque Makrani
Music by
Production
company
Base Industries Group
Distributed by
Release date
  • 21 December 2007 (2007-12-21)
Running time
158 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹32 crore[2]
Box office₹117.91 crore [3]

Welcome is an Indian 2007 Hindi-language comedy film co-written and directed by Anees Bazmee.[3] It stars Feroz Khan (in his final screen appearance) Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat in prominent roles.[2][4] Sunil Shetty and Malaika Arora feature in special appearances.[5][6]

It was loosely inspired by the 1999 comedy Mickey Blue Eyes. Budgeted at ₹320 million (US$3.8 million) which includes making and marketing costs, Welcome was distributed by UTV Motion Pictures.[7] It was theatrically released worldwide on 21 December 2007, coinciding with the Christmas festival.[8][9] The film received mostly mixed to positive reviews from critics and praise towards Patekar and Kapoor's gangster characters. It led to stiff competition with Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par. Nevertheless, Welcome was a major commercial success and went on to become the second highest grossing Hindi film of the year with global revenues of ₹1.22 billion (US$15 million).[10] It is considered as a modern cult film.[11]

The film is the first instalment of the Welcome series and spawned a sequel, Welcome Back in 2015 that also became a commercial success.[12] A third, unrelated instalment in the series, titled Welcome to the Jungle, is slated for release.

Plot

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Dr. Ghungroo lives with his wife and his son-like nephew Rajiv, an auctioneer who is his late sister's son. A Don, Uday Shetty, wants his half-sister Sanjana to get married, but all his attempts fail due to his criminal background. Rajiv is smitten by her after a chance meeting. Uday and his best friend, Sagar Pandey, a.k.a. Majnu Bhai, want their marriage to happen. But after learning that they are mobsters, Ghungroo flees to South Africa with his family. Majnu and Sanjana arrive there for a holiday. She and Rajiv meet again and fall in love.

Uday and Majnu force Ghungroo to accept the alliance and invite their boss, the powerful underworld Don, Ranvir Dhanraj Xaka, a.k.a. RDX, for their engagement. Ghungroo sends his sister-in-law Ishika to break the alliance, who succeeds by falsely claiming to be Rajiv's childhood betrothed at the engagement party. Ghungroo reveals that Rajiv's criminal father harassed and tortured Rajiv's mother, who then requested Ghungroo to keep Rajiv away from crime. Ghungroo says he'll agree to their alliance only if Uday and Majnu give up their lives of crime.

Rajiv and Sanjana attempt to 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 do not have time for crime anymore.

Rajiv's actions anger Lucky, RDX's son, who attacks Rajiv. Sanjana gets hold of the gun and fires a shot that accidentally hits Lucky, which makes him unconscious. RDX is informed that Lucky has died, and he comes to attend the cremation. However Lucky, who is still alive, escapes while being followed by Rajiv, Uday, Majnu, and their henchmen while trying to show his father that he's alive, but fails and hides inside the cremation area. 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 realizing the wood is on fire, and all the truth is revealed to RDX. Rajiv, Ghunghroo, his wife, Ishika, Sanjana, Uday, Majnu, their henchmen, and Uday's lawyer 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, with these rules to be followed strictly and mandatorily. 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, known for always keeping his word and following the rules, figures the only way he can maintain his image is by killing everyone. Before he can, government brokers sneak up and cut the footings of the illegally built cabin, causing the house to start falling over the cliff, with everyone trapped inside. However, the cabin is suspended by only 1 column.

Hilarious chaos ensues as the group tries to balance the cabin together and keep it from falling off the cliff. Amidst this, Majnu tries to hit Lucky's head that is stuck inside a vessel by using an axe, during which an angry RDX tries to shoot Majnu but misses it, causing the bullet to hit a beehive. As the bees sting everyone, 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 everyone else is bickering and Rajiv is trying to rescue him, Sanjana reveals the truth to everyone: 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 in falls off into the cliff, leading everyone to believe that Rajiv died. 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 tell Rajiv to ask for anything that he wishes for. Rajiv requests them to give up crime, and RDX agrees, allowing Rajiv and Sanjana to finally get married. Uday and Majnu request RDX to get them married to Ishika. However, they realize that Ishika fooled them along with Rajiv as a part of his plan to marry Sanjana. This angers Uday and Majnu, who start to chase Rajiv, and the movie ends on a hilarious note.

Cast

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Soundtrack

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Welcome
Soundtrack album by
Sajid–Wajid, Anand Raj Anand and Himesh Reshammiya
Released
  • 1 November 2007 (2007-11-01) (Digital Release)
  • 21 December 2007 (2007-12-21) (Film)
Recorded2007
GenreFeature film soundtrack
LanguageHindi
LabelJunglee Music (Times Group)
Anand Raj Anand chronology
Dus Kahaniyaan
(2007) 		Welcome
(2007) 		Jimmy
(2008)
Himesh Reshammiya chronology
Nanhe Jaisalmer
(2007) 		Welcome
(2007) 		My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves
(2008)

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.[7][13] 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.[14]

Welcome track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Honth Rasiley"Ibrahim AshkAnand Raj AnandShankar Mahadevan, Anand Raj Anand, Shreya Ghoshal4:40
2."Insha Allah" ([15])SameerHimesh ReshammiyaKrishna Beura, Shaan, Akriti Kakkar5:38
3."Kiya Kiya"Anjaan SagiriAnand Raj AnandAnand Raj Anand, Shweta Pandit5:02
4."Uncha Lamba Kad"Anand Raj AnandAnand Raj AnandAnand Raj Anand, Kalpana Patowary4:40
5."Welcome"Shabbir AhmedSajid–WajidShaan, Sowmya Raoh, Wajid4:18
6."Kola Laka Vellari" ([16])SameerHimesh ReshammiyaHimesh Reshammiya5:38

Reception

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Box office

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At the box office, Welcome opened to a massive response locally, by grossing ₹35 crore (US$4.2 million) on its opening week.[17] Despite facing competition from the popular Aamir Khan-starrer, Taare Zameen Par which was also a huge success, Welcome grossed ₹97.43 crore (US$12 million) domestically.[18] It became the second highest-grossing film of 2007, just behind Om Shanti Om. The worldwide gross was around ₹117.91 crore (US$14 million).[3]

Critical response

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Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 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!".[19] The 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."[20] Hindustan Times stated, "Akshay Kumar has a flair for comedy but even that is beginning to bore which is quiet evident in Welcome."[21] 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."[22]

Tajpal Rathore of the 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]

The Hindu's negative review entitled "No, thank you!" concludes saying "Gags to make you smile, some to make you gag".[25]

Awards and nominations

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List of awards and nominations received by Welcome
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Filmfare Awards 16 February 2008 Best Supporting Actor Anil Kapoor Nominated [26]
Producers Guild Film Awards 8 April 2008 Best Entertainer of the Year Akshay Kumar Won[a] [27]
Zee Cine Awards 26 April 2008 Best Comedian Nana Patekar Nominated [28]
Anil Kapoor Nominated
International Indian Film Academy Awards 8 June 2008 Best Supporting Actor Nominated [29]

Sequel

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A sequel to the film, titled Welcome Back, has been released. It 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.[30]

Notes

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  1. ^ Also won for Namastey London, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa

References

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  1. ^ Frater, Patrick (8 November 2007). "Indian Film to distribute 'Welcome'". Variety. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Welcome". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Top All Time Worldwide Grossers Updated 11/5/2012". boxofficeindia. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  4. ^ Rohini Bhandari (8 August 2007). "UTV acquires worldwide rights for Welcome". Business of Cinema. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Malaika Arora does an item number in Welcome". Oneindia.in. 12 November 2007. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Bollywood actor Feroz Khan dies". BBC News. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Welcome Cast & Crew". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Welcome V/S Taare Zameen Par". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  9. ^ Meenakshi Verma (26 December 2007). "Taare Zameen Par adds to Christmas sparkle at BO". Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Box Office 2007". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Anees Bazmee on Welcome screening".
  12. ^ Joginder Tuteja (27 December 2007). "WELCOME creates record in US, UK, UAE". IndiaGlitz. Archived from the original on 29 December 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Welcome songs". Smashits. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units)". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 24 June 2010.
  15. ^ Insha Allah | Welcome Movie | Akshay Kumar | Katrina Kaif | Nana Patekar | Anil Kapoor | Mallika. Times Music. 1 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2019 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ Kola Laka Vellari | Welcome Movie | Akshay Kumar | Katrina Kaif | Anil Kapoor | Himesh Reshammiya. Times Music. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2019 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ "Top First Week Earners (First 7 days only)". BoxOffice India.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Welcome Rules At The Box Office". BoxOffice India.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  19. ^ Adarsh, Taran (21 December 2007). "Welcome Review 4/5 | Welcome Movie Review | Welcome 2007 Public Review | Film Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  20. ^ Welcome Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of Welcome by Times of India, retrieved 1 July 2021
  21. ^ "Review: Welcome". Hindustan Times. 21 December 2007. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Welcome packs in a lot of masala". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  23. ^ "BBC - Movies - review - Welcome". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  24. ^ "Review:Welcome the tortuous comedy « Rajeev Masand – movies that matter : from bollywood, hollywood and everywhere else". Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  25. ^ "No, thank you! -- Welcome". The Hindu. 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Filmfare Awards Winners List From 1953 to 2019". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  27. ^ "Winners of 3rd Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  28. ^ "Nominations for the Zee Cine Awards 2008". Bollywood Hungama. Bollywood Hungama News Network. 1 April 2008. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  29. ^ "IIFA 2008: Thailand". iifa.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  30. ^ "John gets pricey, pockets Rs 15 cr for Welcome Back". India Today. 22 April 2013. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
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