Ahmed Khan‘s Welcome to the Jungle has become one of the biggest commercial entertainers of the year, crossing the Rs 100-crore mark at the domestic box office in just 10 days. Titled Akshay “Kumar,” the third installment in the popular franchise, has also sparked discussion about its star-studded cast and surprisingly tight production costs. In a recent interview, the filmmaker reflected on assembling a cast of more than 30 actors, controlling expenses and why the film turned a profit even before its theatrical release.Ahmed Khan revealed in an interview with SCREEN that the script naturally called for a large number of actors, rather than forcing multiple stars to participate in the story.“Yes, the script is already there. When we go out to make an ensemble, you have to compartmentalize and appoint people. So, we have a team of filmmakers (Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal YadavJohnny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tashar Kapoor), a group of bosses (Sunil ShettyArshad Warsi, Lara Dutta, Jackie Shroff) and another group of villagers (Raveena Tandon, Farida Jalal, Kiran Kumar). So, we knew there were going to be 17-18 main actors, and we knew who was going to perform which lines and who was going to have how much screen time. If they all did one thing, it would be a nightmare. “He explained that splitting the cast into different groups made it easier to balance the narrative and ensure each character had a purpose.
Comedy comes from satire
The director also shared how he crafted quirky character names and personalities to enhance his humor.“We knew the timing was when we wanted Paresh Rajpal to play the goofy director Dev Das. They formed a Tigdhi with Johnny Lever. If you notice, the brother was supposed to be named Dev, but we named Rajpal Dev and Paresh Das. And then Johnny, An executive producer, he’s supposed to be talking a lot, but he’s speechless and at the same time, the cameraman can’t watch it properly, so if you insert sarcasm, it becomes a comedy of errors, and at the same time we’re reinforcing stereotypes, like Jacqueline as a dumb blonde heroine.“
Complete the movie without going over budget
Despite the large cast, Ahmed insists the strict schedule helped him stay on budget.“Yes, the P&A (print and advertising) expenses were Rs 125 crore. I completed the film with Rs 110 crore. If I had increased the number of shooting days, the cost would have been higher. I completed the film in 75 days.”He further explained that extending the shoot affects more than just production days.“Even if you add an extra day to your shoot, you’re just adding days, plus catering, per diem, processing, editing and background score. You don’t realize it, but it goes up all the way to the end.”Ahmed believes it’s usually production delays that cause budget bloats, not the big shows.“Yes. We knew we had so many actors. If there were not so many actors, I could have completed the film in 75 days and within Rs 75 crore. I have heard in some places that the budget of this film is Rs 200-250 crore. How could anyone say that? What’s the point of being in this industry for 36 years if I’m spending that much money? I wasn’t making a superhero movie, I didn’t even know how to do visual effects, I was just sitting in a visual effects studio watching some boys working on knobs. My films are straight to the point. It’s just an unnecessary myth that the budget would be that high if there were so many actors. But this has no basis in fact. “
The film has recovered its investment
Ahmed revealed that the project was profitable before audiences even walked into the theater.“We made back our budget even before the movie was released through satellite, digital and music rights. The movie was already a hit on paper (laughs). Now, the movie is in front of everyone at the box office. My producers are laughing all the way to the bank. It’s a real, real success.”
Why he turned his script into a ‘Welcome’ movie
The filmmaker revealed that the story was originally penned by the late Neeraj Vora nearly a decade ago and eventually evolved into the third chapter of the series after producer Feroz Nadiadwala approached him.“Neeraj Vora wrote it ten years ago, around the same time as ‘Welcome Back’ was released. ‘Welcome Back’ had a separate identity, with black and white suits and Dubai. So, when Feroze Nadiadwala gave me this script, I told him this was the next ‘Welcome Back’. No one wants to see “Welcome” again. We’ve seen enough of this. “
Dealing with comparisons to ‘Tees Maar Khan’
Many viewers are comparing “Welcome to the Jungle” to Farah Khan’s “Tee Mal Khan,” but Ahmed believes each comedy creates its own world.“Look, we use the term ‘brain rot,’ but the brain doesn’t actually rot. Because you put your brain aside and don’t use it at all. There’s something else driving you, so just let it drive you. Sit back and enjoy it.”He added, “In terms of similarities, my film is very similar to ‘Tis Mal Khan’, just like ‘Sultan’ and ‘Dangal’ were a decade ago. But they are both very well done. There are so many gangster films in a year. So, the idea is the same, but once you get into the world, the journey is completely different.”
Bringing nostalgia back to the franchise
Ahmed said he consciously kept familiar elements from the series to reward long-time fans.“When you have two iconic characters like them and we’re doing a third one, you can forget about everything else, but you tend to keep something that audiences will enjoy as well. We could have avoided it. No one will complain about this, but if you can bring a smile to the public with these small changes, then nothing else matters. “This also inspired a nostalgic reunion between Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon.“Yes, but that was not the reason for her casting. They are both my friends. When it came time to play the role of a powerful lady in the village, I thought Raveena would be perfect. When I approached her, I told her that I would play some scenes between her and Akshay. But now we are all grown up. We have a baby now. So the meta-reference of “20 saal baad aaye ho tum” was so popular with the audience that everyone in the theater went crazy (laughs).“
Reinventing veteran actors
Ahmed also talked about casting Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar in roles they have never done before.“I have never seen them doing comedy. We wanted two serious actors. In this film, they are not doing comedy either. If you mute Farida Ji, you will see her crying. If you turn up the volume, she’ll be gibbering. “He continued, “Farida ji asked me, ‘What are you asking me to do?’ Akshay played an important role. He made her believe that she was part of a ‘welcoming’ world. Then she might understand and agree with my belief.”Ahmed recalls the lessons he learned while choreographing Kamini, concluding that audiences connect more through emotion than strict logic.“I say, if you have to approach everything with logic, then you should also question Gulzar Sahab… People will not delve into such in-depth details. Unless they see a person who was shot in a previous scene.”