Welcome To The Jungle Makers Build Massive Forest Sets In Mumbai For Action-Packed Climax

Mumbai may be known for its crowded streets and film studios, but for the makers of Welcome To The Jungle, parts of the city are currently doubling up as thick wilderness. Director Ahmed Khan has mounted an elaborate climax for the film by recreating forest landscapes across multiple Mumbai locations, with filming now underway and the final schedule expected to conclude early next year.

The high-energy climax shoot began on December 5 and is being filmed across five locations — Film City, Royal Palms, Borivali, and two spots in Aarey Colony. Under the supervision of production designer Shailesh Mahadik, expansive sets replicating dense jungle terrain have been constructed to accommodate large-scale action and stunt sequences.

Originally, the team

had planned to shoot this portion in the forests of Uttar Pradesh. However, logistical hurdles led to a change in plan. A source told mid-day, “But the biting cold was a deterrent. Plus, the production team realised it’d be logistically impractical to shoot in the forests with a 34-member cast and 500-strong unit. Given the kind of stunts involved, Ahmed and producer Firoz A Nadiadwala decided to relocate the shoot to Mumbai.”

Once this schedule wraps, the unit will briefly head to North India to capture wide aerial and establishing shots of real jungles. Speaking about managing such a massive ensemble, Ahmed Khan said, “It’s wonderful that we’re shooting the climax now. Getting so many actors together was the only challenge, but once on sets, it’s a party.”

An introductory song featuring the entire cast is slated to be filmed in the second week of January, after which the film is expected to wrap up production.

As anticipation around the film continues to build, questions have also emerged about the absence of iconic characters Uday and Majnu, originally played by Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor. Addressing this, Ahmed Khan told News18 Showsha, “So the thought was very different. If you see Welcome, it is a film that is regularly made, and there is nothing like the similar cast. Akshay (Kumar) was in the first one, John (Abraham) was in the second one, and now again Akshay is in the third one. So it was a complete 360 turnaround from the Welcome series. So it’s okay, people keep coming and going.”

Clarifying whether the actors were approached, he added, “No, I mean they were not approached. We did speak to them if they wanted to be a part, but it was not a film for Uday, Majnu, it is a different script.”

The filmmaker also acknowledged the challenges of mounting such a large production. “Very difficult, but it’s a filmmaker’s journey. There were so many hurdles, so many apprehensions, but a director has to go through hell to make a film. Welcome has been a tough journey for me because of the cast I have. To manage the actors’ dates, money, and requirements isn’t an easy journey.”

Directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Firoz A Nadiadwala, Welcome To The Jungle features an ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, Paresh Rawal, Tusshar Kapoor, among others. Positioned as one of the most ambitious comedies currently in production, the film aims to deliver large-scale visuals, chaotic humour, and the trademark energy associated with the Welcome franchise, which began in 2007 and returned with Welcome Back in 2015.