Sanket’s Review: Welcome to Karachi

It’s been a very used formula to fix a film with humor and satire based on the political tension between countries. In-fact in one of the comic-bookish scenes in the film where we see army of Countries like Nepal, America, Israel, Russia etc. starts gun-firing right in the middle of road adjacent to Indian Embassy in Pakistan. Now it might not make sense if you are looking for smart comedy, because the film sets the tone on low-IQ comedy and this above mentioned scene encapsulates pretty much the pattern of jokes that will roll down in this 130 minutes long film.

Although I have to give it to some terrific one-liners that might bring the house down. Also the whole episode of delivery scene is hilarious. In-fact the first half is peppered with some genuinely funny one-liners and the regular jibes at the India-Pakistan relation are rather funny.

But the film just doesn’t work as a complete package as the film proceeds post intermission. The jokes start to fall flat, the ideas become preposterous and unfunny, and the scenes become repetitive. Also a very contrived and dumbed down screenplay towards the climax just doesn’t help. The entire film we just see the two leads moving from one place to another without quite of a purpose. In the end it becomes just too much to test the patience.

Arshad Warsi is good in some scenes, like the one where his accumulated aggression, while watching Ind-Pak Cricket match, spills out. But the film doesn’t allow the actor to go beyond some lame jokes and overdone one-liners. Jacky Bhagnani surprisingly shows ease at his performance and does steal the thunder away from seasoned actor like Warsi. But his character is shown to be such a dumb boy that it sometimes might cringe you.

In the end, Welcome To Karachi is restricted down to nothing but an ordinary comedy fare that had enough potential. A film in its zone like “Warr Chodd Naa Yaar” was far better and smarter. I must say I am disappointed because the film’s genuine laughs are offered only in first half that kind of excites you but the second half is more than enough to eat into the plusses the film has.

Rating – 2/5