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29 March 2024

After Karachi, is it 'Welcome 2 Abu Dhabi' for Bollywood's Jackky?

'Welcome 2 Abu Dhabi' will be along the same lines as its predecessor, 'Welcome 2 Karachi', revolving around two guys: Abu and Dhabi.

Published
By Bindu Rai

Will the capital roll out the red carpet for Bollywood's Jackky Bhagnani under the 'Welcome 2 Abu Dhabi' banner?

If news filtering down from Mumbai is to be believed, the actor is all set to make a sequel to his Bollywood comedy, 'Welcome 2 Karachi', which was showcased in Dubai during the Arab Indo Bollywood Awards in May.

Nearly six weeks after the film released, and correspondingly flopped according to Indian box office figures, Vashu Bhagnani, producer and father of its lead star, has been quoted by news media that a sequel is in the pipeline and they are bringing a new madcap adventure to Abu Dhabi.

Quoted in the Mumbai Mirror, the senior Bhagnani has stated: "Forty per cent of the script is ready; we should lock the script in a few days."

He further added: "Eighty per cent of the film will be shot in Abu Dhabi. We have yet to finalise the director."

According to reports 'Welcome 2 Abu Dhabi' will be along the same lines as its predecessor,  revolving  around two guys: Abu and Dhabi.

Indeed.

The younger Bhagnani will return to play the lead, while actress Lauren Gottlieb is expected to find time from her busy schedule while hosting 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded' on Colors TV with the newly married Shahid Kapoor and director-producer Karan Johar, to jet into Abu Dhabi for the shoot.

However, the film's second lead, Arshad Warsi, is not expected to return to the sequel due to a spat the actor had with the filmmakers during the 'Welcome 2 Karachi' promotions, which even saw him skip the public appearance in Dubai for the same.

While a response is still awaited from twofour54, the commercial arm of the Media Zone Authority-Abu Dhabi, that facilitates film shoots in the capital,  the shoot for the upcoming Bollywood project is expected to commence in December.

The senior Bhagnani has also confirmed that work has also begun on the third installment in the franchise,  titled 'Welcome 2 London'.

The prodigal son, meanwhile, is gaining popularity and some fan following on social media platforms at least for his tribute video for Noble Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who turned 18 on July 12.

In case you missed his faux pas last year after misspelling Malala's name and calling her 'Masala', while congratulating on her ‘Nobel’ prize win, Bhagnani has released a video to wish the Pakistani activist on her birthday.

The actor shared the link to the video on Twitter on July 10, two days before her birthday, poking fun at himself while drawing attention to the young woman’s achievements following being shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012.