Welcome Back review: Watch it only if you're in the mood for brain-dead humour

Film: Welcome Back 
Starring: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Paresh Rawal, Shruti Hassan, Dimple Kapadia & Naseeruddin Shah
Directed by: Anees Bazmi
​Rating: **1/2 (Two and half stars)
 
What’s It About:
The first instalment of this franchise (Welcome) was a huge success when it released eight years back. The definition of mainstream cinema has changed a lot since then but the makers of Welcome Back have stuck to the zone they started out with. The sequel, therefore, tends to amuse you because of its audacity to remain over-the-top, nonsensical and often funny in the most ludicrous manner. Uday Shetty (Nana) and Majnu Bhai (Anil) make a comeback – this time as reformed citizens in Dubai. In a twist of circumstance, they realise Uday has another sister Ranjana (Shruti) around the same time that Ghungroo (Paresh) discovers he has a son Ajju (John). The idea is to get them married until they find out Ajju is one of the biggest gangsters in Mumbai. Uday and Majnu try their best to break the alliance but by then, Ranjana and Ajju are already in love. More confusion comes in the form of the manipulative gold-digger (Dimple) and her daughter (Ankita Shrivastava), which is further escalated when Wanted Bhai (Naseer) lands on the scene with his son Honey (Shiney Ahuja). 
 
What’s Hot:
The film doesn’t try to be anything more than what its predecessor was. And it needs to be evaluated according to the genre it belongs to. There is nothing called a screenplay in this film. The director merely plays around with the characters that became popular with the first film. And it works to an extent because Uday and Majnu literally shoulder the film all the way. The camaraderie between Anil and Nana is stupendous; their one-liners are the film’s best moments. Welcome Back has huge production values and the money spent can be seen in every frame of the film. The graveyard scene is one of the film’s highlights, more so because of the performances of all the actors. John holds up his own amidst the towering actors. Paresh is in his elements and Naseer is merely enjoying every bit of the absurdity he’s a part of.
 
What’s Not:
We’re not complaining of the script because there is none and we aren’t even looking for it. But even Welcome had its share of genuine screenplay-driven laughs, which the sequel lacks big time. The casting of Dimple, Ankita and Shiney goes completely wrong. The music is a huge letdown. The climax of the film makes you wonder what the director was on while shooting it. And what the actors were on that they all decided to be a part of it.
 
What To Do:
If you’re in the mood for brain-dead humor, this is it. And if you’re avid fans of Uday and Majnu Bhai.