7 Welcome to London (2012) User Reviews

Awful

[Svelte1 · 1/10 · 18 March 2012]

Watched this movie as the songs were good and were in a fair amount on the Asian movie channels.

I've watched Asad as a VJ on TV and quite frankly he is no more than just that, I do not think he is a capable actor. His acting was poor with poor dialogue delivery and an English accent for an immigrant which doesn't make sense. As a directing debut it was a good effort with what I've heard was a low budget.

There was not enough Bollywood romance depicted in the film and with the poor performances the film was a drag.

Agree with others that Goldie was the star of the film, his character was well executed.

The story line was too much of a mish mash and I really don't see how it's a "grissly thriller." Although the second half had a few turns and twists which were unexpected.....

The lead actress was pleasing to look at, and perhaps has some potential.

I watched it in the first week it was out and screen was also almost empty. The hype online seems to be from those who are biased because I really cannot see how anyone could have enjoyed sitting through it enjoying it!!

Watch it to support home grown talent but do not have high expectations.

Storyline less than intriguing.

[jamesconnor773 · 1/10 · 15 November 2013]

Having recently gotten into watching some Bollywood movies, and movies of the subcontinent, I was anticipating a movie that had some depth and a story line that would captivate the audience. However I felt the the story line was rather, contrived, and forced. There was very little plot or character development,consequently it was hard to relate to, or emphasize with the characters. In terms of the acting 'Goldie' was brilliant, and the leading man Asad Shan has great potential. The leading actress, was unfortunately not up to par when it came to acting ability, and was unable to emote and express in relation to the dialogue she was articulating. Moreover a gripe for non-native speakers of Hindi/urdu, the subtitles were not adequately presented, as in many instances they were chopped off. The soundtrack of the film itself was very good, and a pleasing listen.

A good effort - 'Hero becomes the f****** Villain'

[framesforever · 8/10 · 14 March 2012]

I watched this film on a night-out in Birmingham. Had no clue what the film is about , neither had seen any promos. It was a welcome surprise. Slick titles, Slick opening. But then arrives the made up romance between the two characters on a London underground. That was the biggest underachievement of the film! Romance was so poor that I felt that they were trying to love each other like if they really had to, and had no choice. Performances of 'Jai' and 'Simian' were tailored to fit in the role.

What surprised me in the film was that the film entirely runs on the mercy of the performance by supporting actors. 'Goldie' the blonde haired character almost saves people from walking away from the cinema's. He was an absolute delight to watch! Cracking humour and some brilliant performance acting wise he delivered. His humour was fresh and his expressions were down to earth. You feel that he is actually the real hero of the film!

Supporting performances carry the film from the gangsters to the elder sister of 'Simian' , they all did really well.

Script wise, not sure what the film was really aiming at. I think the director got confused who to appeal the film too. Asian , Western or International. I think the pleasing factor almost destroyed the film's final potential. It did have a great potential to get cinema audiences to go after.

And as there was a dialogue in the film 'The Hero becomes the f***** Villain' quite true in this case, because the lead actor hardly was convincing from any character of an Indian immigrant who has newly arrived to London.

Villains in the film here were just Mobs of a weird Eastenders plot. And others helped his performance all the way.

The real man to watch out for was 'Goldie' who had the most sympathy from the audience in my opinion and pulls his part really well.

Still not a bad effort and go watch a locally made film on a modest budget. Still not a disappointment and was quite content till the end.

British Cinema at its best , blended with Bollywood

[info-318-449780 · 10/10 · 15 March 2012]

I came across a music video which was a promotional song for the above named film and instantly thought that it was super cool, next minute trailer was searched and enjoyed by me. I watched the film today and I'm completely blown away with the quality of the film.

Story of an Indian immigrant in East London and how he tackles life covering romance, friendship and hardship. I have never been a bit fan of Bollywood films but gosh I was taken a back with his film. All the 7 songs were integrated beautifully in this film and I have already purchased the album from iTunes. This film has been shot beautifully and a very unique approach to a Bollywood film. I am in love with the lead couple of the film Jai and Simran played beautifully by Asad Shan and Sabeeka Imam. They were brilliant and so was Goldie who had me n stitches with his comic timing. The three east end gangsters were amazing and sent a shiver down my spine. I won't spoil it for you but for me this is certainly in my top 3 films of the decade , go out and enjoy this romantic thriller.

Surprisingly good!

[luke-321-35 · 7/10 · 19 March 2012]

I'm not your typical Bollywood cinema-goer, I was dragged to this film by a Bollywood-lover and we were both pleasantly surprised. It was a good film.

It's not your typical Bollywood film either.. it has a good mix of Britishness there too. There was no extravagant dancing or screwing in light-bulbs (which I feared may be included!). The music was definitely one of the highlights. A good choice there, with some very catchy and memorable tunes. The score itself was great too.

Without giving anything away there are two halves to the film. From light to dark. Happiness in the first part where new to the country- Jai meets the girl of his dreams- Simran, and Jai also meets his best buddy- Goldie. Difficulties arise and the film gets incredibly dark and violent as the biggest, meanest London gangsters get involved.

I enjoyed watching not only the relationship between Jai and Simran blossom, but also the relationship between Jai and Goldie. There was a real brother-from-another-mother vibe going on there and the bonding scenes were carried out well.

The film is not perfect, acting-wise it is not all there. The lead- Jai, where good throughout, he is not very convincing during the later scenes. I'm sure I heard what sounded like a crying baby near the end? Simran- Jai's love interest was sweet and very charming, she did a good job with what was given to her. Goldie- definitely the highlight of the film, giving the film some comedy-relief.. very natural delivery and consistently good acting, leagues ahead of the others.

The main bad guy Tony did a great job, though some of the dialogue was a bit too sketchy for my liking. A bit too clichéd too. He did a good job picking up the scraps though, and had some of the more memorable lines. The other supporting gangsters actors were okay. Though I did notice some overacting throughout.

The script had some good twists and turns, though some very unnecessarily funny dialogue, particularly the "pop idol" remark near the end in what was supposed to be a very intense scene- not needed! Very uncalled for and spoilt the scene for me.

A small gripe I must mention is. The title mentions London and yet in the film there is not much to suggest it is London. When I see a film with London in the title I expect to see at least a few common landmarks! Show off the beautiful side to London too!

I also noticed quite a lot of blurring, I'm not sure if it was my contact lenses or the camera-man responsible. But it definitely happened on more than one occasion- where the subject of the scene wasn't the thing in focus. School-boy error perhaps?

Overall it is a solid first effort and definitely one to check out. I watched with an open mind, I appreciate it is a low-budget film and is not without its flaws though it did grab my interest throughout and I did want to know how this one ended.

Overall really enjoyed it

[zeenat-rajput · 8/10 · 16 March 2012]

OK write I've never seen a Bollywood film in my life and after hearing from friends and family about this I thought why not try it and see what it's all about after all it's made by a UK born Asian Artist.

Having expecting the worse as Im not into Bollywood films I was fairly surprised as this is nothing like what I expected first half was slow introducing Jai, Simran, and their romance the second half is where the whole film took a different turn.. What happened was what I didn't expect not your usual girl & boy get married but mirroring something which happens in reality to a certain extent and bringing it to life on the big screen..

I was frankly blown away with the Second half I'm sure Bollywood films are not like this at all.. Touch of thriller in the film.. The lead actress is stunning but think she can improve a lot on her acting, Asad does a good job but Goldie is my favourite made me laugh throughout the film. Some good songs which made the film even better.. Overall guys I would say a great first film and attempt by Asad and all his hard work is very clearly shown in the film if you want something different then watch this film for sure...

An Immigrant's Story

[sarbjitkaur01 · 8/10 · 19 March 2012]

Many directors in the past have tried to merge genres to create a Hybrid movie and to a large degree have failed. So why did Shan try his hand at a failing genre was the real reason for me to watch the film. The first gear was just that, a clinched filled story of Jai coming to the UK to make a life for himself but just as you got comfortable with the pace, Shan went straight to gear five. Seat belts tightened you were taken on an exhilarating drive that allows you to smile, laugh and cry whilst enjoying the ride. Asad's acting abilities are nothing great in the opening scenes however; this does change by the end of the film. None the less you do leave the film liking his character even if it is for his unusual makeup. Sabeeka was supposed to be the glamour piece in the film but alas failed to do achieve that – her monotone expressions did little for her character. Goldie who plays Jai's friend, was the most likable character and his range of emotions were superb. In fact apart from him, the only other person who stood out was the baddie played by Tim Hibbard who managed to bring the right blend of menace and fear to his character. Asad did a good job with the direction and on the whole, managed to give you a decent hybrid film and along the way has created a new niche within a vibrant and ever changing market.

Nice film.. but not for Cinema!

[alesai110-320-72587 · 6/10 · 18 March 2012]

I was first intrigued with this film when the trailers came out. It had all the perfect ingredients, I thought. However, when watched the film on the big screen, I was a little disappointed.

Maybe, it was the cinema, the subtitles was chopped off and so was the top half! Since it was a digital release, they should first checked that the ratio was suitable for screening, even in the smaller cinemas.

The storyline was not that bad. However, it was like watching 'Eastenders' on the big screen. The film did have brilliant soundtracks, so 109 minutes didn't seem that painful.

Overall, an OK film, perfect for TV or DVD.

Not your Typical Bollywood Film... A must watch!

[arcs25 · 8/10 · 15 March 2012]

OK so I watch a lot of Bollywood films and every single one has the same concept and storyline guy meets girl & falls in love etc.. I expected the same from this don't get me wrong there is romance in the film but there is also something very unexpected a twist which you don't expect at all!

This is a film made by British VJ Asad Shan, wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to watch this but have to say I wasn't disappointed at all.. You can expect all you want from this film... Romance, Drama, Action, Thriller, Comedy and go through a rollercoster of emotions... The first half of the film is mainly the intro to the main casts introducing Jai but the second half is where the film grips you...

You seriously need to watch the film to understand what I mean... What decision does Jai (Asad Shan) take? How far will he go?

This is a great film by UK British Actor Asad Shan, if your looking for something totally different to your usual Bollywood films then I would highly recommend this, everyone I've taken to see this film has thoroughly enjoyed it.. It's what you would expect if leading Bollywood Director Karan Johar and British Director Guy Ritchie would make if they collaborated to make a film... You have never seen London look so Dark as it is in 7 Welcome to London... A must watch!

Great Combination of Bollywood/ British Gangster film

[Amiri17 · 9/10 · 17 March 2012]

I went in to this film not knowing what to expect and I have to say left the cinema quite impressed. The story kicks of with a young Indian named Jai coming to London and trying to find work. He meets Goldie who shows and teaches him the sights and ways of London. However after losing his Job the two lads get involved with the darker side of London with various Gangsters and criminals. The movie is well shot and there are good sharp bits of humour from both the leading males and the gangsters. There is also a love interest thrown in as well! All in all, the movie appeals to a mass audience. I found the narrative structure superbly paced throughout incorporating elements of bollywood films such as dancing with gritty and violence scenes. I found the direction similar to that of early Hitchcock with sprinkles of Fincher and Scorsese and a just a dash of Spielberg. I found the whole film a breath of fresh air. worth checking out!

a sweet love story

[amanda-chisholm · 10/10 · 29 June 2020]

This is definitely a heart warming feel good film about fitting in, finding one's feet and falling in love. The storyline weaves through a variety of immigrant experiences, all flatmates in a single house share, and shows the diversity of life for them in London in their individual pursuits for "the good life". Definitely a film that makes you smile.

Great film

[akalam-18384 · 10/10 · 24 July 2020]

Am excellent film. Great for Asian community in Britain and also for the general population in general.

Welcome To London - an awesome film

[rehmati-1 · 10/10 · 29 June 2020]

It's truly a near true to life story filmed beautifully in the dark of East London essaying the experience of an Indian immigrant. Different from the usual Bollywood, the film imbues an aura of freshness. Highly recommended.

A must watch

[filiz_hendy · 10/10 · 2 July 2020]

The film is far better than what the trailers promise us to expect due to the unexpected plot twists. It's an overall enjoyable flick which can put you to the edge of your seat in some moments and makes you laugh in others. The Cast and Crew have outdone themselves. Personally I've loved every second of it.

Big Fan of ACE and Mani here (of course Jai is on top of the list)

Too Bad!

[hsn_azha · 1 February 2015]

When I watched the trailer, movie seemed to be very interesting. Today I planned to watch the movie with my friends n we were expecting so much from the movie. We had Taken 3 as an option. But we preferred "Welcome to London". First half of the movie was a complete waste. There were a few jokes though, but they were never needed trust me none of us bothered even to smile. Acting was poor. Storyline was crap we couldn't understand what was happening in the movie except last 40 minutes that seemed to be inspired by "The Hunger Games". Ending was ideal: Happy... But movie... I would say if you have nothing to do with your time and your money, Go for it, waste your time and money. Sigh...!