Ahmed Khan‘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. Headed by Akshay Kumar, the third installment in the popular franchise, has also sparked conversations about its star cast and surprisingly controlled production cost. In a recent interview, the filmmaker reflected on assembling a cast of over 30 actors, controlling expenses and why the film was already profitable even before its theatrical release.Speaking to SCREEN, Ahmed Khan revealed that the script naturally demanded a large cast rather than forcing multiple stars into the story.“Yes, the script was already there. When we went out to do a set, you had to divide and appoint people. So we had a group of filmmakers (Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal YadavJohnny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor), a bunch of gifts (Suniel ShettyArshad Warsi, Lara Dutta, Jackie Shroff) and another group of villagers (Raveena Tandon, Farida Jalal, Kiran Kumar). So we knew there would be 17 to 18 main actors, and we knew who to give which lines and who would get how much screen time. If they all did one thing, it would have been a nightmare.”He explained that organizing the actors into different groups made it easier to balance the narrative and ensure that each character had a purpose.
Comedy rooted in irony
The director also shared how the characters’ quirky names and personalities were carefully crafted to amplify the humor.“We knew we wanted the Paresh-Rajpal moment as the silent directors Dev-Das. They form a tigdi with Johnny Lever. If you noticed, the older brother should have been called Dev, but we named Rajpal Dev and Paresh Das. Then there is Johnny, an executive producer who is supposed to talk a lot, but at the same time he can talk a lot to the camera. right, so if you insert irony, it becomes comedy At the same time, we also played with stereotypes, like making Jacqueline a dumb blonde heroine.“
Finish the movie without spending too much
Despite the huge cast, Ahmed insisted that a disciplined schedule helped him keep the budget under control.“Yes, Rs 125 crore with the P&A (Print and Publicity). I finished the film in Rs 110 crore. The thing is, if I had increased the number of shooting days, the cost would have gone up. I finished the film in 75 days.”He also explained that extending a shoot affects much more than just production days.“If your shoot goes up by even a day, it’s not just the number of days, but the cost of catering, per diems, processing fees, and background editing and scoring costs. You don’t realize it, but it goes up all the way.”Ahmed believes that production delays, rather than a large set, are usually responsible for the increased budgets.“Yes. And we knew we had so many actors. Had there not been so many actors, I would have finished the film in 75 days and on Rs 75 crore. I have heard from some places that the budget of the film is Rs 200-250 crores. How can anyone say that? If I had spent that much, what was the point of being in the industry for 36 years? I’m not making a superhero movie, where I don’t even know how to do visual effects, and I’m just sitting around while some guys work on buttons in a visual effects studio. My film is a straight cut. It’s just this unnecessary myth that if there are so many actors, the budget would be so high. But there is no truth in that.”
The film had already recouped its investment
Ahmed revealed that the project had become profitable even before the audience entered the theatres.“We recovered the budget even before the film released through satellite, digital and music rights. It was already a hit on paper (laughs). Now, the box office of the film is there for everyone. My producers are laughing all the way to the bank. It’s a real hit.”
Why he turned the script into a movie of “Welcome”.
The filmmaker revealed that the story, originally penned by the late Neeraj Vora almost a decade ago, ended up evolving into the third installment of the franchise after being approached by producer Feroz Nadiadwala.“Neeraj Vora wrote it a decade ago, around the same time as ‘Welcome Back’ was released. ‘Welcome’ had a separate identity, there are black and white dresses and Dubai. So when Feroz Nadiadwala gave me this script, I told him this is the next ‘Welcome’. No one wants to see this “Welcome” again. We’ve seen enough.”
Addressing Comparisons With ‘Tees Maar Khan’
Many viewers have compared ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ to Farah Khan’s ‘Tees Maar Khan’, but Ahmed believes that every comedy creates its own world.“See, we use the term ‘brain rot,’ but the brain isn’t actually rotting. Because you’ve kept your brain to one side and you’re not using it at all. Something else is driving you, so let it drive you. Just sit back and enjoy.”He added, “In terms of similarities, my film is as similar to ‘Tees Maar Khan’ as ‘Sultan’ was to ‘Dangal’ 10 years ago. But both did well. There are so many crime films in a year. So the ideas are the same, but once you enter the world, the journey is completely different.”
Bringing nostalgia back to the franchise
Ahmed said he consciously retained familiar elements of the franchise to reward longtime fans.“When we had two iconic characters like them, and we’re doing the third installment, you can forget about everything else, but you tend to keep certain things that the audience would also enjoy. We could have avoided it. No one would have complained about it, but if you can put a smile on the audience’s face with those little touches, nothing else matters.”This also inspired the nostalgic reunion between Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon.“Yes, but that’s not the reason for casting her. They are both my friends. When there was a role of a powerful lady in a village, I thought Raveena would be perfect. When I approached her, I told her that I will play some scenes between her and Akshay. But now we’ve all grown up. Now we have children. So the meta-reference of ’20 saal baad aaye ho tum’ caught the audience so well that all theaters were going crazy (laughs).“
Reimagining veteran actors
Ahmed also talked about casting Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar in roles unlike anything they have done before.“I have never seen them do comedy. We wanted two serious actors. They don’t do comedy in this either. If you mute Farida ji, you will see her crying. If you turn up the volume, it’s talking.”He continued, “Farida ji asked me, ‘What are you making me do?’ Akshay played an important role. He convinced her that she is part of the “Welcome” world. Then he probably understood and went with my conviction.”Recalling a lesson he learned while choreographing ‘Kaminey’, Ahmed concluded that audiences connect more with emotions than rigid logic.“I said if you have to approach everything by logic, then you should also question Gulzar sahab… People don’t go into such deep details. Unless they see a man who had been shot in the previous scene.”