Memories of “Welcome” 18 years later: Anil Kapoor calls Feroz Khan the film’s soul

December 21, 2025

Mumbai: On the 18th anniversary of the release of “Welcome,” Anil Kapoor recalled the iconic comedy film with gratitude and nostalgia. On this occasion, he paid an emotional tribute to the late actor Feroz Khan and particularly recalled the impact his character, RDX, had on the film.

RDX took the film to new heights

Anil Kapoor said that Feroz Khan breathed life into the film with his powerful acting and charismatic presence. He said that the character of RDX became one of the film’s biggest highlights and that Feroz Khan’s performance elevated “Welcome” to a whole new level.

Shared old photos on social media

On Sunday, Anil Kapoor shared some memorable photos from the film on his X account. In these photos, he is seen with Feroz Khan and Nana Patekar. One black and white photo, from 1986, shows Feroz Khan hugging Anil Kapoor, while the rest are stills from “Welcome.”

In the caption, Anil Kapoor wrote, “18 years of ‘Welcome’. This is for Feroz Khan sahab. ‘Welcome’ was incomplete without RDX, like ‘Mr. India’ without Mogambo. Both are irreplaceable.”

The film would have stopped here’—Anil Kapoor’s revelation

Sharing an interesting anecdote, Anil Kapoor wrote, “I remember when I heard the script, I wondered how the film would work. ‘The picture stops here.’ Then Anees bhai said, ‘Don’t worry, Feroz sahab will pick up the film.’ And he really did. RDX picked up the film. This film, this character, this madness—it was all magic.”

Feroz Khan’s last film was ‘Welcome’

Released in 2007, “Welcome” was a romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Anees Bazmee, inspired by the 1999 Hollywood film “Mickey Blue Eyes.” The film starred Feroz Khan alongside Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat in lead roles. Sunil Shetty and Malaika Arora made special appearances.

It is worth noting that “Welcome” was Feroz Khan’s last on-screen film. He passed away two years later after a prolonged illness.