Comedy movies come and go, but some truly are immortal - on the big screen and in our hearts.
Anees Bazmee's comic caper Welcome in 2007 earned a place like that for itself and became a film for the ages. But this time, as we talk about the standard of humour that Welcome struck, it leaves us with a bittersweet feeling.
Veteran actor Nana Patekar had, in many ways, found a new place in the hearts of 2000s viewers with Welcome.
After being known for incredible gritty performances in Parinda and Krantiveer, Welcome director Anees Bazmee completely changed the veteran actor's track as a soft-hearted but eccentric don who simply wanted to show how 'decent' he was, just to get his sister married.
Patekar died on October 8 after suffering a massive cardiac arrest at his Goa residence. He was 75. His departure has left a void in the cinematic world, as he now exists only in memories and Instagram reels. Ever since his death, other than his most revered performances in films like Krantiveer, Ab Tak Chhappan and Parinda, it is his iconic portrayal of the feared don Uday Shetty in Welcome with which social media has been swamped.
This made a score of fans revisit the film, but it now feels so different, as we know Nana Patekar is no more.
Welcome was sheer teamwork. A classic ensemble pack of incredible talents put up a great show and an unforgettable comedy of errors. Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Feroz Khan, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat put up a stellar act in their respective characters. It's 19 years since the film released, but even today, when Uday Shetty makes that entry with a skip in his step and swag in his style, it shows us how versatile the actor was and that he could fit into any role.
'Control Uday, control' - no one could have made such comic timing land with a straight face like Nana Patekar did as Uday Shetty. So much so that this dialogue became a pop-culture reference for anger management in the corporate world.
Then there was, "Bhagwan ka diya sab kuch hai. Daulat hai, shohrat hai, izzat hai. Bas ek nek aur shareef ladka chahiye tha," which was repeated so many times that it is etched in our memories. For a don like his character to make such a bizarre statement with conviction is what left a lasting impression.
While the movie Welcome as a whole is a riot, it is Uday Shetty's particular sequences that leave a different void now. The vegetable-vendor sequence, where he tries to pivot his life into becoming a movie star is unforgettable. Uday Shetty, dressed in a formal suit as he tries to pull off a sequence as a vegetable hawker, still makes you roll with laughter.
"Aalu le lo, kanda le lo... subah se na ek aalu bika hai, na bika hai aadha kanda," is also an extremely popular pop-culture reference that is still used today, as the internet draws parallels with the sales department in corporates.
Then there is the prosthetic-leg monologue between Nana Patekar and Mushtaq Khan, who also departed just two weeks before Nana Patekar.
The backstory is what makes their jugalbandi even more hilarious. It was Uday Shetty who had broken his leg, but Ballu Paaji still looked up to him as a saint, as he paid for the hospital bed and got him a fake leg.
Till today, it is the hilarious sequences between Nana Patekar's Uday Shetty losing his temper at Mushtaq Khan's Ballu Paaji, among other eccentricities in the film, that have continued to entertain audiences ranging from millennials to Gen Z.
The absurdity went completely off the charts when Nana Patekar's character hit a midlife crisis and fell in love with Mallika Sherawat's character Ishika. Suddenly, the tough-guy attitude dissipates as he melts into a true-blue Hindi film romantic hero.
But what makes Welcome seem the most incomplete right now is the on-screen 'couple' that remains timeless: Uday and Majnu. The soul of the film lies in the chemistry the two brought in. Nana Patekar once said how Welcome would be incomplete without the chaotic brotherhood of the two. No words have rung truer than this, as today, when we sit and watch Welcome for the laughs, we are constantly reminded of how Nana Patekar's Uday Shetty was the missing piece of the puzzle that made Anil Kapoor's Majnu Bhai complete. You can't help but feel a bit sad about how that will never be recreated in any other film by these two.
Every fan sitting and rewatching Welcome today is struck by a feeling of incompletion that cannot be put into words.
We did have the sequel, Welcome to the Jungle, this year, which did decently well at the box office. But both Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor chose to stay away from it, as they agreed it lacked the appeal it needed. The film cleverly made use of several archival footage of Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai to unleash a string of nostalgic moments for fans.
There was little hope back in August this year, when reports of the Welcome duo started making the rounds. The two actors, known for playing Uday and Majnu in the Welcome universe, were reportedly in talks for a new zombie comedy.
The film, produced by Firoz Nadiadwala and directed by Ahmed Khan, was in the pre-production stage, while Tiger Shroff had already been chosen to play the lead role.
According to reports, Firoz wanted Anil and Nana to play two characters whose fun chemistry would remind viewers of Uday and Majnu. Interestingly, both actors were also interested in the project.
"It's a two-character role, which has the potential to become the new-age Uday and Majnu," Bollywood Hungama reported. Both Anil and Nana were excited to embark on this journey with Firoz Nadiadwala. The film was presently in the writing stage, the report stated.
Reports also said they were to begin filming in early 2027 - alas, a dream that shall remain unfulfilled.
For boomers, millennials and Gen Z alike, Welcome shall remain the eternal template of what Nana Patekar could do when put into a completely different universe, breaking his mould of a 'serious actor'.
Today, Welcome still instils the same feeling, sans Nana Patekar, who is not there to see the love still pouring in. That does, and forever shall, make the film look and feel incomplete now.
ALSO READ | Nana Patekar To Mushtaq Khan, How Welcome Cast Lost Two Of Its Iconic Actors Within 2 Weeks
