Third instalment of comedy franchise is set to kick off early next year with a new director
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 5, 2018)

The third instalment of the Welcome franchise, is set to go on the floors by early next year.

A source close to the development reveals to Mirror that the Firoz Nadiadwala production, whose predecessors were directed by Anees Bazmee, will roll with a new director. “Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and Nana Patekar are already on board to reprise their roles from the previous instalments. Anil will continue to play Majnu, Nana returns as Uday Shetty while Paresh plays Dr Ghunghroo. While the first two instalments were more about comedy, this one will have action in equal measure. Locations are currently being finalised with shooting schedules also being planned in Tokyo and Osaka,” the source informs, adding that the makers also plan to film at Ground Zero in New York, where the World Trade Centre stood. “They have approached Oscar-winning German composer Hans Zimmer for the background score,” the source adds. Zimmer has won an Oscar and one Grammy award for his score in The Lion King in 1995 and a Grammy each for Crimson Tide (1996) and The Dark Knight (2009).

The first Welcome released in 2007 with Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in the lead and was written and directed by Anees Bazmee. The second instalment, titled Welcome Back, had featured John Abraham and Shruti Haasan as protagonists and released in September, 2015. The second film was directed by also Bazmee and written by Raaj Shaandilyaa.

Meanwhile, the third instalment’s team is currently looking for an A-lister who is proficient in action scenes to to play the male lead.