Welcome to the Jungle shoot halted; final schedule to begin soon: Report

Business Standard

7 hours ago

After Paresh Rawal's exit from Hera Pheri 3, another Akshay Kumar-led ensemble comedy seems to be facing turbulence. Welcome to the Jungle, backed by producer Firoz Nadiadwala and directed by Ahmed Khan, has reportedly run into production hurdles.
Several media outlets on Tuesday claimed that the film was put on hold due to financial issues. However, a Hindustan Times report quoting a source close to the project revealed that the pause is due to 'multiple reasons', not just budgetary constraints.
The film, which began shooting in 2023, is part of the successful Welcome franchise. In 2007, the first movie in the franchise came out. Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Nana Patekar, and other actors starred in the movie. Welcome Back, the franchise's second movie, came out in 2015. The main actors in it were Paresh Rawal, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, and Shruti Haasan. Both films did well at the box office.
Why is 'Welcome to the Jungle' halted?
The 34-member ensemble cast of Ahmed Khan's Welcome to the Jungle includes, among others, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Raveena Tandon, and Disha Patani. Last month, the film's production was put on hold. The source close to the makers shares: "70% of the shoot of Welcome to the Jungle is already done. The remaining 30% was to be scheduled in Kashmir, but because of the unfortunate Pahalgam attack, the plan got pushed."
Pinkvilla had on Monday claimed that the film's production had been cancelled due to financial difficulties with the producers. The report quoted a source stating, "The film has been on floors for over a year and a half now. There are also issues of non-payment of dues to the actors and their staff. Some of the originally cast actors have exited the project, while others are still supporting it out of love for the franchise. They all believe that Welcome is a beloved franchise and are willing to adjust their dates to help complete Welcome to the Jungle".
'Welcome to the Jungle': Shooting begins
However, the insider connected with the makers has denied the Pinkvilla report and added, "The entire schedule was locked, which included helicopters, over 250 horses with horsemen, and 1200 junior artists. But, everything is on track, all 34 actors are excited and set to commence the last marathon schedule and will begin post-rains in a different location."
With a fantastic ensemble, Welcome to the Jungle was formally announced in 2023. A preview of the humour the movie will contain is provided by the cast's a cappella performance in the announcement video. Originally slated for release on Christmas 2025, the movie was postponed.
'Welcome to the Jungle': Cast and Crew
The film, directed by Ahmed Khan, boasts a star-studded cast, including Paresh Rawal, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi, Krushna Abhishek, and Kiku Sharda, among others. The female leads include Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lara Dutta, and Raveena Tandon.