Mumbai: Director Ahmed Khan says the decision to move ahead with “Welcome to the Jungle” without iconic characters played by Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor was driven by logistical constraints rather than creative reasons.
Anil and Nana essayed the fan-favourite gangsters Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai in the franchise’s first part “Welcome” in 2007, alongside Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Paresh Rawal, and later returned for the second installment, “Welcome Again” in 2015.
The franchise’s third instalment, “Welcome To The Jungle”, which was released in theatres last month, featured a new ensemble cast led by Akshay Kumar but did not include either Anil or Nana.
He feels that the change in cast and director only brings freshness to the franchise. “Akshay (Kumar) was in Welcome (2007), John (Abraham) was in Welcome Back (2015). Akshay was in Bhool Bhulaiyaa; now, Kartik (Aaryan) is in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3. Siddharth Anand made War (2019), Ayan Mukerji made War 2,” added Ahmed.
“You can only stretch something to an extent. After that, it snaps. Every film has its limits, but a franchise doesn’t. There were so many Khiladi movies that came out, but no Khiladi had anything to do with the other Khiladis. Similarly, in Welcome, John replaced Akshay in the sequel, so the link in the story was cut right there. Now, Akshay is back again. So, it’s Welcome, but with an even bigger cst,” Ahmed Khan argued.
Having been a choreographer on the first instalment, Ahmed has also attempted to reinvent the aesthetic of the Welcome franchise with a threequel that’s designed as an adventure comedy. “Welcome had black suits, buildings, and girls in shimmery clothes. What we’ve done is get them into army fatigues. We’ve completely changed the terrain and concept to army style. Otherwise, they’d keep singing the same tune in the same suits. So, we’ve to give the audience something new,” added Ahmed.
He also claims that Welcome to the Jungle is not a slapstick comedy. “If you mute the film, you’ll see they’re talking very seriously, with guns in their hands. But if you dial up the volume, you’ll think, ‘What are these idiots doing?’ They’re talking rubbish to each other, but with poker faces. So, that’s what this Welcome is about,” said Ahmed.
