- Movie Name:Welcome To New York
- Critics Rating: 1.5 / 5
- Release Date: 23-02-2017
- Director: Chakri Toleti
- Genre: Comedy
This Friday was supposed to be full of hilarity as two humorous movies namely Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety and Welcome To New York were releasing. After the month began with high-octane and social drama like PadMan and Aiyaary, it was a relief when a Friday was booked with two comic flicks on the same day. Talking about Welcome To New York, the film wasn’t like what we expected. Directed by renowned filmmaker Chakri Toleti, who was debuting in Bollywood, Welcome To New York arrived with its heart and brain missing.
Welcome To New York Story
The story revolved around a struggling fashion designer Jeenal and a recovery agent Teji. The duo wants to carve their name in the showbiz industry and want the success easy and quick. Looking at an advert announcing a contest for IIFA 2017, the hopeful Teji and Jeenal send their entries. Lara Dutta who was planning to sabotage the gala event, finalises them to execute her evil motives and ruin her boss Gary (Boman Irani). The tables are turned when the two write-offs do the unimaginable on the stage. All in all, Welcome To New York is a spoof of Bollywood’s annual gala event IIFA and the way industry works.
Welcome To New York Review
The film starts on a dry note with an event manager organising a contest to look for two fresh talents for IIFA 2017. The contest brings a new ray of hope in the lives of two middle-of-the-road people who want to strike a cut in the showbiz industry. Jeenal is struggling in her professional as well as personal life while Teji can’t get enough of his self-obsessive ways. Cradling millions of dreams in the crucibles of their eyes, they land up in New York among big names where the IIFA was slated to take place.
Bollywood’s one of the ace filmmakers Karan Johar features in the movie as Karan Johar itself. Joining him is Riteish Deshmukh, who never spares a moment to crack a joke on his Bollywood career and of course, his not-so-wondrous Ek Villain. The duo exchange many veiled jokes about the industry just like they do when they co-host a Bollywood event. Riteish Deshukh blatantly talks about his lack of work and flops while KJo talks flippantly about his over-mushy films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham.
The narrative itself fails to spark an interest in audience. It’s what we’ve already seen in more than hundreds of Bollywood flicks wherein, the strugglers carve a niche in the showbiz industry with their hard work and determination; the same old moral science chapter where everything ends well.
The script is leading to nowhere, with its end hanging loose everywhere. The first half is bound to give headeaches to those who watch a film hoping to see a bit of gumption in it. The second half is a relief, but it won’t be fair to say that it carried the film onward. It was dully, only a magnitude lesser than the first half. The problem lied with the script which seemed lost and jumbled up. The story was juggling between the camaraderie of two strangers sharing the roof in a plush hotel suite of New York and of course, IIFA; the focal point of the entire film. Watching the trailer, Welcome To New York seemed like a fresh take on the humour genre of the industry, but I believe the script seemed crisper in a two-minute trailer than in a full-fledged two-hour film.
In a nutshell, Welcome To New York is neither a perfect romance nor a okay-ish comedy. It’s a mess, which some might find amusing. If you wish to seek some content and good punches in a comedy film, Welcome To New York is just not your thing.
