Paresh Rawal clarifies ‘Akshay Kumar is not a friend’ remark
Paresh Rawal clarifies his remark that Akshay Kumar is not a freind but a colleague, after years of successful collaborations.
The trailer for ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ has dropped at a grand launch event held at YRF Studios. The makers reportedly spent over Rs. 1.50 crore on the trailer launch alone, making it one of the biggest movie launch events in recent times. The film hits theatres on June 26, 2026.
What the trailer shows
The trailer runs to 4 minutes and 20 seconds and opens up a world of chaos and comedy featuring Akshay Kumar and the ensemble. The film follows police officers Jay Bakshi and Sandhya, who are tasked with tracking down notorious criminal Raj Solanki. Things take an unexpected turn when Jay discovers that Raj plays a significant role in his life.
Advertisement
The jungle setting replaces the urban backdrops of the earlier films. The project was officially announced as a major expansion of the series, moving from urban environments to a jungle backdrop, and incorporates a film-within-a-film narrative device blending slapstick comedy with large-scale action sequences.
Advertisement
Also Read: ‘Where is Sharvari?’ Twitter (X) calls out ‘Alpha’ teaser as Alia Bhatt’s co-lead does not get a single shot
The trailer features multiple call-backs to real-life jokes around the leading heroes. After a long gap, Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty come together again, reprising a love-and-hate dynamic similar to what fans remember from ‘Hera Pheri’.
The cast
This is one of the largest ensemble casts assembled for a Hindi comedy. The film brings together Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, and Urvashi Rautela, among others.
The camaraderie between Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal is being called one of the trailer’s major highlights.
Director and production
Choreographer-turned-director Ahmed Khan, best known for ‘Baaghi 2’, ‘Baaghi 3’, and ‘Heropanti 2’, has helmed the film. The screenplay is written by Farhad Samji, with the story credited to Neeraj Vora. The film is presented by A.A. Nadiadwala, Cape of Good Films, and Star Studio18, in association with Seeta Films and Rakesh Dang. It is a Base Industries Group Production, produced by Rakesh Dang, Vedant Vikaas Baali, and Firoz A. Nadiadwala.
The Welcome franchise
The Welcome franchise was originally produced by Firoz Nadiadwala and directed by Anees Bazmee. The first film released on December 21, 2007, and the second, ‘Welcome Back’, released on September 4, 2015. The original is considered one of the biggest comedy IPs in Bollywood, alongside ‘Hera Pheri’. Unlike franchises such as ‘Golmaal’ or ‘Housefull’, the series has not seen regular follow-ups, largely due to behind-the-scenes production issues. ‘Welcome Back’ opened to Rs. 14 crore nett despite having a lesser lead than Akshay Kumar.
Principal photography for ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ began in December 2023. The production faced challenging timeline due to scale of ensemble. That pushed original release date from Christmas 2024 to mid-2026.
Advertisement
