Welcome to the Jungle review: Akshay Kumar rediscovers his funny bone

It’s a welcome return to the franchise for the struggling actor, who revels in this madcap entertainer. Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar are hilarious. Disha Patani and Jacqueline Fernandez, too, spring a surprise.

Rating: ( 3 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Akshay Kumar and his prolonged period of struggle – writing about it has now become a cliché. This can break most artists, but the wise ones learn to take things in their stride. Credit to Akshay Kumar for not really being someone who takes things to heart, and for not being known to indulge in witch-hunts.

Having snubbed the sequel, the seasoned actor returned to the Welcome franchise, which itself has seen a change at the helm. Ahmed Khan succeeded Anees Bazmee as director, and Farhad Samji joined the franchise, penning the dialogues for Welcome to the Jungle (2026). Titled after the iconic Guns N’ Roses track, the film is based on a story conceived by the late Neeraj Vora, the man who wrote and conceived the original Welcome (2007). 

The four-minute trailer of Welcome to the Jungle revealed one key thing: Akshay Kumar and the other leading actors didn’t mind being mocked on screen for their professional struggles. When an artist stops taking themselves seriously, they become free, and that is when creativity seeps in.

Often, cringe films are slammed as a criminal wastage of money, with the suggestion that the producers may have wanted to balance the books and thus burn dirt money on making mediocre films. Well, the late Neeraj Vora turned this thought into the primary motif of Welcome to the Jungle.

Story

Sinha (Zakir Hussain), a filthy-rich corrupt business tycoon, is desperate to balance his books. His secretary, Dubey (Johnny Lever), suggests that the best way to burn money is by making a mediocre film that will become the biggest box-office disaster. Show losses, and save tax. Sinha is merrily willing to spend Rs 2,000 crore on this film. Dubey then hires two local filmmakers, more reel makers in Dev (Rajpal Yadav) and Das (Paresh Rawal). They turn to Rajiv Kohli (Akshay Kumar), a washed-up actor now surviving on Bhojpuri films. For the heroine, they pick Rajiv’s ex-girlfriend, Nadia Daruwala (Disha Patani), knowing well that, given their bitter history, they will have no chemistry. The rest of the cast is a free-for-all; just about anybody is invited into this jungle. Some – Romeo (Arshad Warsi) and Yedda Anna (Suniel Shetty) – force their way into Welcome to the Jungle. Jenny (Jacqueline Fernandez) – Sinha’s wannabe blonde daughter – also hops in as one of the female protagonists. The team heads off to the northern part of India, shooting close to a border region. Initially, things appear fine, but self-inflicted destruction compels the team to cross into no man’s land, where after a point, they realize this is no longer cinema but a life-and-death situation confronting them.

Screenplay & Direction

11 years is a considerable wait for a third film in the franchise. Neeraj Vora sadly passed away in 2017. It has taken nine years for Welcome to the Jungle to arrive, and we presume that Vora’s story was completed by Ahmed Khan and Samji. As a mark of respect, producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala, now spelled Nadiadwallah, perhaps reserved the story and screenplay credit for his late good friend Vora.

Welcome to the Jungle’s self-destructive plot partly rekindled memories of Mel Brooks’ cult dark comedy The Producers (1967), in which a producer and his accountant conceived a mediocre play to siphon off investor money. In 2001, the idea was adapted into a Broadway musical, followed by a film version in 2005.

The Welcome to the Jungle idea, though, feels much closer to home, especially in this era of big budgets, big proposals, hype, little creativity, and a lack of substance. The budget is rumoured to be a massive Rs 300 crore, but in a way, the Firoz A. Nadiadwallah film itself seems amused by the state of affairs in Bollywood. And you have to credit Nadiadwallah for not shying away from triggering these conversations through the film.

From the ‘make-a-dud film-for-tax-saving’ plot, the narrative shifts to survival in no man’s land. Ahmed Khan’s film perhaps flirts with the jingoistic idea of reclaiming PoK. Of course, Khan and Samji are smart not to take names. The no man’s land here is called Azadganj. The Azadganj story and the drama feel like a Sholay parody. When Rajiv Kohli asks a local village boy, “Do you really understand what PoK is?”, the kid simply clucks like a chicken. Well, leave the Naya Bharat and ghar mein ghuske maarunga narratives to the Dhurandhars. Welcome to the Jungle is a madcap family entertainer.

The disorganised manner in which this film-within-a-film is being shot is reminiscent of earlier times, when the script was secondary and scenes were constructed and communicated on set. Well, it’s easy to call that disorganised, but how many bound scripts pull in audiences today?

With a runtime of 164 minutes, the opening 45 minutes have a few fun moments, but once the action shifts to Azadganj, Welcome to the Jungle turns into a laughter riot. The clean humour, drama, and chaos make it an ideal family entertainer.

Acting

It’s easy to say that Akshay Kumar is back in his comfort zone, but pulling off such roles at 58 is far more challenging than at 30. It’s also easy to get carried away and end up looking silly. There have been rumours of Akshay Kumar forgetting his lines, along with the usual chatter that he is disciplined but expensive, finishes work within the allotted days, and treats art like a 9-to-5 job. When films repeatedly fail, such talk naturally flares up.

As we said earlier, creativity stems from not taking yourself too seriously. Credit to Kumar, he happily embraces a flop hero in Welcome to the Jungle. His character can hardly believe he will be making Rs 200 crore from this doomed film-within-a-film. One thing Kumar is not guilty of is hogging screen time, though Rajiv Kohli refuses to let anyone steal his thunder. The chaos fuels the humour, and many dialogues reference titles from Kumar’s filmography. He also has no qualms about working with Raveena Tandon, a woman he was once closely linked with. Each time they share the screen, the audience is bound to erupt in laughter. ’90s gossip mongers will certainly cherish this professional reunion. Perhaps playing his birth name (Rajiv) again is the trick to bring out the best in Akshay Kumar. The seasoned actor delivers a flawless performance, one that will be cheered by his legion of fans and win over critics alike.

Arshad Warsi, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav do their thing, thankfully entertaining without being dull, repetitive, or cringe. The real entertainers here, though, are veteran actors Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar. They play Badi Bi and Chacha, respectively, the old folks from Azadganj. The former speaks in a mumbling tone, which only Chacha can interpret, but he responds in some inexplicable Urdu. Like the confused protagonists, the audience too will wonder, “Only God can understand his Urdu.” Kumar and Jalal will have you ROFL.

Jacqueline Fernandez and Disha Patani are the surprise packet here. Like Kumar, they too embrace the criticism, acknowledging on screen that they are often picked for glamour. But after a long time, these women play characters with real substance. Fernandez is particularly amusing as the wannabe blonde Jenny. She has you in stitches when, instead of pulling out the pin and hurling a grenade, Jenny throws away the pin and keeps the grenade in her hand. As for Patani, she peaks less, but conveys more with her eyes. Of course, that toned body makes her fit for action.

Johnny Lever’s Dubey has a unique condition whereby, during crucial dialogues, his voice goes mute after a few lines, but his lips keep moving, puzzling listeners and amusing the audience. Not everyone, however, may be amused by Lever’s typical facial expressions. You are stunned when, on a couple of occasions, Dev (Rajpal Yadav) is referred to as Smallpox. Similarly, while Shreyas Talpade is compelling, mocking a man named Nainsukh (Talpade) for his poor vision isn’t funny either. Daler Mehndi looks jaded, perhaps too nervous to have been asked to act in this film. For a film that brings together artists from different cultures, you are taken aback by lines where Rajiv is mocked for surviving on Bhojpuri cinema. It’s Jenny, though, who makes amends when she proudly says, “Bhojpuri is better than Hollywood.”

A performance appraisal would be incomplete without a word of praise for the underrated Vindu Dara Singh. He plays Ghoni, one of the bandits in Azadganj. His long hair, beard, goofy expressions, and gnarly look are so reminiscent of the late Joginder, maternal uncle of Akshay Kumar.

With an ensemble cast of three dozen actors, it is very difficult to allocate screen time to all of them, but perhaps most of the actors should not have any FOMO. It also reflects sound direction and editing.

Music & Technical Aspects

A masala entertainer would be incomplete without music. The soundtrack has several contributors. The opening track, Ghis Ghis Ghis, has a fine Bhojpuri flavour, while popular Punjabi singer Talwinder’s Kyun is a delightful filler between the first and second halves. The film closes with back-to-back tracks, Tera Paisa Mera Paisa and the title track. Overall, the playback music is fun and groovy.

Welcome to the Jungle is said to have been shot in Dubai and largely in Mumbai. With such a huge cast, the producers were perhaps wise not to travel north and instead film those scenes using chroma. This is a comedy film, so you cannot really be too critical here.

Final thoughts

Franchise fatigue and long gaps between films aren’t healthy. Welcome (2007) will always be the best, while Welcome Back (2015) was a disappointment. Welcome to the Jungle, however, succeeds in triggering some nostalgia but, more importantly, offers a fresh, adventurous ride. It is a welcome return to form for Akshay Kumar, who rediscovers his funny bone, and perhaps even Mrs. Funnybones (Twinkle Khanna) will agree.

Video review to follow.