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 restrained 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 cast, 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 assign people. So, we had 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 would be 17-18 main cast members and we knew who was going to perform which lines and who would get 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 shares how to craft quirky character names and personalities to enhance humor.“We knew the timing that we wanted Paresh-Rajpal to play the goofy director Dev-Das. They formed the tigdi with Johnny Lever. If you notice, the brother was supposed to be named Dev, but we named Rajpal Dev and Paresh Das.“
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 the impact of the extended shoot was not just production time.“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 box office of the movie is in front of everyone. My producers were laughing all the way to the bank. It was a real success.”
Why he turned the 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 Feroz Nadiadwala gave me this script, I told him it 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 “Tishmaal 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 making a third one, you can forget about everything else, but you tend to retain something that audiences will also enjoy. We could have avoided it. No one will complain about this, but if you can make people smile with these small changes, then nothing else matters. “It also inspired a nostalgic reunion between Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon.“Yes, but that’s 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 movie, 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.”
