When Welcome was released in 2007, it was a hit. Even over two decades later, the movie remains a cult classic, with memes being made and shared on social media, and quotes being used in real conversations in real life. After the success of Welcome, the creators decided to replicate that success with Welcome Back in 2015. Unfortunately, their experiment failed—nothing could beat the original. But maybe it’s third time lucky? 2025 will see Welcome to the Jungle hit the screens, and it’s a wild card entry that my gut says could honestly go either way—it’s going big or it’s going home; we’ll find out soon enough.
When it comes to watching the franchise in order, it’s really straightforward. All movies are standalones, except for some recurring characters. The plot itself is self-contained, so they can be watched in any order, but according to me, experiencing the madness from the beginning is the way to go. Start with Welcome, which introduces us to Dr. Ghungroo, Majnu Bhai, and Uday Shetty—three crucial characters who return in Welcome Back as well—before moving on to Welcome Back. As a viewer, you’ll be able to appreciate the way Bollywood comedy has evolved, while looking forward to whatever jungle themed lunacy is waiting for us in Welcome to the Jungle.
But fair warning, none of these movies are life-changing or even realistic. They are, however, extremely comforting and are wonderful for a good laugh, and can be watched alone, or with family (I recommend watching with your family!) With that being said, let’s dive in:
Welcome (2007)
With everything going on in the world right now, if you’ve felt like you could use an escape, then nothing’s better than watching Welcome, which is the epitome of larger-than-life Bollywood comedy in the 2000s. Welcome is packed with goofy characters, chaotic energy, and the kind of over-the-top storytelling that is endlessly bingeable (in fact, I’ve watched this movie atleast 20 times since the time of its release, no joke!) The setup is simple, a shareef (decent) man, Rajiv (Akshay Kumar) falls in love with the feisty Sanjana (Katrina Kaif), only later he and his uncle Dr. Ghungroo (Paresh Rawal) find out that Sanjana’s brothers are underworld dons, Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai (played by Nana Patekhar and Anil Kapoor). What follows contains misunderstandings, chases, explosions, and iconic songs, culminating in a final climax scene that’ll have you in peels of laughter.
Welcome is a movie where each of the characters plays their roles perfectly and dynamically; not one character overshadows the other. Even if one of the characters from the ensemble is missing, the entire movie can fall apart. Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai are meant to be dangerous and notorious gangsters, but you can’t help but root for them and find them as lovable buffoons instead. Compared to Welcome Back, the first movie is sharper and wittier, with a comedy to romance formula that actually works. If you’ve watched The Godfather and wondered how it’d be in pure Bollywood fashion, then Welcome would be the answer. Anyone who enjoys absurd family and ensemble comedies similar to Housefull and Action Replayy, will love Welcome. If you have time to watch just one movie from this franchise, let it be Welcome.
Welcome Back (2015)
Welcome Back takes us to Dubai, where Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai, still desperate bachelors, are now living reformed lives. But trouble is never far behind, and that brings us to our new protagonist, Ajju. John Abraham fills in for Akshay Kumar as the local ruffian, who has fallen in love with Ranjana, Uday Shetty’s step-sister who has come out of the woodwork (yes, really!) Though the movie did not live up to the potential, and let fans down, Uday and Majnu are what save it once again. Dr. Ghungroo also returns, and the trio is a breath of fresh air in a movie that otherwise just looks like a tourism ad for Dubai.
John’s comic timing doesn’t compare to Akshay’s, but he tries his hardest to give a charismatic performance (and that wins him points, in my book.) The sequel doesn’t continue from its predecessor, and everything we need to know about the characters and story from Welcome, we are reminded through archival footage. Where Welcome is scrappy and original, Welcome Back does feel like it’s trying too hard to be what Welcome was, but to little success. The story itself feels like a bit of a let down by being a bit too flashy and disconnected, but still manages to entertain in certain scenes.
Welcome To The Jungle (2025)
Encore! Welcome to the Jungle is the upcoming instalment in the Welcome universe. It promises to be bigger and more chaotic than the two films that came before it, with a bigger cast and antics in the jungle, taking the formula that made Welcome such a hit a notch higher. Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal are set to reprise their characters. Welcome to the Jungle is going to be ‘welcome’ addition to the franchise (see what I did there?) which will either end up being a fabulous revival or a disaster. Regardless, it’s going to be just the nostalgic larger-than-life movie that Bollywood desperately needs right now.
The films prove that movies don’t have to make sense to make you happy, even if it misses the mark, you end up having a blast. So if you’ve got some time on a weekend after a hectic week, grab some popcorn, switch off your film critic for the evening, and watch the Welcome franchise. It’s not perfect—but it never claimed to be; that’s what makes it so special.
