Hindi
‘Welcome To Karachi’: No thanks!
MUMBAI: Jackky Bhagnani is being launched for the fifth time in Welcome To Karachi by his home production, Puja Films, owned by his father, Vashu Bhagnani. There are two reasons why the producer should have been very, very selective about the subject he chose and should have had a better team writing it: the first is that what is at stake here is the career of the family scion, and the other is the investment of personal money.
Entering Pakistan by mistake is no more a novel or exciting theme even if the guys doing it, Jackky and Arshad Warsi, are certifiable morons in the film. A recent film, Filmistan had the same theme, even the television serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has had a few episodes where the protagonist, Jethalal, ambles into Pakistani territory. And, of course, our fishermen are also accused of straying on that count. So what’s new? Also, with such a subject you can only make a comedy and for that you need writers, a species missing in our industry.
The producer holds a fancy for Gujaratis and here again, the lead man, Jackky, is from a Gujarati family, his father being Dalip Tahil. Tahil runs a ferry service in Jamnagar, a port town of Gujarat, and caters to the demand of wedding receptions on his boats. Tahil passes off his son, Jackky and his close pal, Arshad, both duffers, as geniuses who will look after the security of the guests. Arshad is supposed to be an ex-Navy man court-martialled for sinking a submarine.
Now, there is a booking and Tahil’s instructions to his son are that, as soon as the baraat arrives, you take off. Jackky follows the instructions to the T. He watches as the baraat arrives near the jetty and the boat takes off. But, what do you know? This Jamnagar seems to be somewhere in the US (Jackky’s dream destination) for the boat is full of scantily dressed white women of varied ages and figures; as long as they are white, who cares! The usual dance and daru event follows till a storm strikes. The boat is sinking, half the white girls are conveniently sacrificed to the storm.
Arshad and Jackky have landed on the coast of Karachi, lying unconscious the way thousands of marooned seafarers have done in as many fairy tales as well as in films. Karachi being a violent and lawless city, soon there is a bomb blast on the beach that they have landed at. A petty thief descends on the victims relieving the dead bodies of their belongings and this duo is not spared either. The wallets and, hence, the identities of both are stolen.
Jackky and Arshad are now on the ISI’s radar and later handed over to the Taliban where they unwittingly destroy the entire Taliban camp. The CIA wants to hog the credit and on one side, a Pakistani minister wants to do the same by calling the two brave soldiers as his party members while the Indian electronic media catches on to the story identifying them as Indians from Jamnagar. Poor morons know nothing of all that they have done and the stories being built around them. Their only wish is to return to India. You wish too that they return to India and the charade ends. Alas!
Welcome To Karachi is a grossly ill-conceived idea and further done to death in execution. The director had nothing to go on and not realizing that shows his lack of script sense. The film is designed as a comedy and the only funny thing about it is that the film is a joke. Neither there is humour, nor any witty dialogues. Music is functional. Editing is not visible. Production is patchy.
As for performances, it is mainly buffoonery on the parts of both main actors. Arshad, otherwise an accomplished actor, is at sea here. Jackky is not an actor so nothing is expected of him and he delivers nothing; his Kathiawadi Gujarati accent sticks to same tone and decibel all along. The heroine, Lauren Gottlieb, plays more of a cameo than the lead. The rest are incidental.
Welcome To Karachi is a poor fare on all counts.
Producer: Vashu Bhagnani
Director: Ashish R Mohan
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Jakky Bhagnani
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
