'Welcome 2 Karachi' Review: Comedy is no laughing matter!

Film: Welcome 2 Karachi

Rating: **

Starring: Arshad Warsi, Jackky Bhagnani, Dalip Tahil, Lauren Gottlieb

Directed by: Ashish R Mohan

 What’s it about:

Kedar (Jackky Bhagnani) is the son of a Gujarati party planner (Dalip Tahil), who has his own plans to relocate to US and set up his own business there, but couldn’t do so because of visa problems. Shammi (Arshad Warsi) is a former Naval officer, who now works under Kedar’s father. One day, they hijack one of the party boats and take it on a cruise for a night long party, but the boat is capsized in a storm and gets sunk along with both our heroes. When they wake up next, they realise that they are in a hospital in Pakistan, Karachi to be exact. From thereon starts their misadventures to get back home, where every Pakistani they meet is either a gun-toting maniac or a terrorist. And we pray that they reach home soon, so that we can run out of the theatre as fast as we can!

What’s hot:

W2K trailer was interesting and the film doesn't live upto it's promise. Arshad Warsi is good. But he has played the hero's side kick once too often. Few gags and scenes work. Especially the one scene when Shammi and Kedar think they reached Indo-Pak border, and their reactions after that. Also loved the scene where one Pakistani news channel creates an entire fictional family for the Indian duo, when they are lauded as Pakistani heroes for blasting a Taliban camp. Unfortunately, the laughs are few. Actually the best quips were all there in the trailer. Jackky Bhagnani gets his Gujarati accent right? Which is humorous and effective, but, even that feels stretched as the narrative drones on.

What’s not:

When you think of terrorism and comedy, the first film that comes to mind is Tere Bin Laden, a smart comedy made a few years back. And that is the benchmark. Even Filmistan. This one is all over the place. And is less concerned with the story and more with making Jackky shine. Giving him best scenes and lines. Every scene and dialogue has an irritating musical cue to make you realise they have made a joke, in case you didn’t get the punchline. The Taliban camp portions reminded one so much of that underrated British black comedy, Four Lions, but in here, they are so weak in execution. The editor seems to have gone on a strike in the post-interval portions as the scenes keep on dragging forever. And there is the stereotype syndrome – Every Pakistani is a gun-toting jerk (Not Baby…this film should be banned in Pakistan for showing them in such a poor light!). Every American is a selfish fool and every Gujarati is a miserly businessman. And sorry boss, we can’t find any kind of hilarity in bomb blasts that kill people or third degree torture, even if they are in Pakistan. Plus, there is a totally unrequited item number.

The secondary characters, including Lauren Gottlieb, are weak and listless. The climax will make your jaw drop with the sheer amount of absurdity displayed. And it ends in a cliffhanger that totally disregards the final conflict. That’s real lazy writing, dude!

What to do:

Watch Filmistan instead.