Ahmed Khan managed to do something which no other filmmaker besides Priyadarshan could: he reunited the iconic Hera Pheri trio, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal, for his upcoming film Welcome
to the Jungle, which, along with these three stars, has an ensemble cast.
Having Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal in a film and making sure to break free from the Baburao, Shyam, and Raju image isn’t an easy job. Speaking about the same, the director, in an interview with Screen, shared, “I have great relations with Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh. I can’t believe they’re working in my film after Hera Pheri,” and continued, “They have the timing. If Akshay says something, then Paresh Rawal takes it from there, and then Suniel jumps in. There’s an unknown attachment, Baburao, Shyam, and Raju somewhere pop up in them. I’m taking advantage of that banter.”
However, Ahmed did feel that there are challenges when a trio like theirs is being loved by fans for particular characters and spoke about how he had to keep a check that not too much of their past characters was influencing their fresh roles. He said, “I know that I don’t have to interfere too much. They know what they have to do. All I have to do is see that there’s not too much Hera Pheri happening. I then tell them to snap out of it and come back to the zone of the film.”
Welcome to the Jungle – Plot and Other Details
Welcome to the Jungle, directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Firoz Nadiadwala, is regarded as one of Bollywood’s most ambitious comic spectacles currently in production. The film promises larger-than-life sets, high-energy comedy, and the trademark chaos that made the Welcome series so popular. Welcome To The Jungle boasts a multi-starrer cast including Akshay Kumar, Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Anil Kapoor and many more.
The Welcome franchise, which debuted in 2007 with Anees Bazmee’s Welcome and was followed by Welcome Back in 2015, remains a fan favourite due to its outrageous humour and unforgettable characters. Despite repeated delays since its announcement in 2023, Welcome to the Jungle has sparked intense interest among fans.
