Director Ahmed Khan has revealed that superstar Akshay Kumar did not charge any fee for his role in the surprise blockbuster Welcome To The Jungle. The film, a massive action-comedy ensemble featuring 34 major stars, has become a box office hit, much to the delight of its creators.
Akshay Kumar's Generosity
In a recent interview, Ahmed Khan shared that Akshay Kumar worked on the film without taking a single penny. "Akshay is a true friend. He stood by me and Firoz bhai all the way, and he didn’t charge a penny," Khan stated. The director expressed his gratitude for Kumar's support, which was instrumental in bringing the ambitious project to life.
Behind the Scenes of a Star-Studded Film
Khan described the challenges of directing such a large cast, which included getting the dates of 34 busy actors aligned. "While making this film, the difficulty was gathering such a big cast. All of them were busy. So putting them all together, getting their dates, aligning them together was a hurdle which my team had to go through," he explained.
On set, the environment was lively, with actors treating the shoot like a reunion. "As Arshad told me once, ‘Ahmed, when we come to your set, it feels like a college reunion.’ And they would start joking with each other," Khan recalled. The only issue was that actors spent up to half an hour greeting each other before Khan could call for action.
Audience Reception and Personal Reflections
The director is thrilled with the audience's response. "I'm grateful that the audience are enjoying the film. And right before this conversation, I was sitting in the theatre, watching the film with the audience. They were laughing and clapping. Every joke, looked like, landed," he said.
Khan also addressed the roles of actors like Lara Dutta and Daler Singh, who had limited screen time. "Lara comes on board as a trainer and I think she did a brilliant job. Daler paaji was there throughout the film. And he knew that as an actor, what limitations he had," Khan noted.
Future Projects and Genre Preferences
When asked about his preference for directing action or comedy, Khan said, "Because I've been a dance choreographer, everybody keeps asking me, ‘When will you make a musical?’ If I have to make a musical, I'll make it. I like doing action because I am into martial arts. And shooting action films gives you a rush. Rahi baat comedy ki, I feel I have a flair for it."
Khan concluded by expressing his gratitude for the film's success. "I’m so glad and grateful to the Almighty and our audience for making this movie a success. It was a journey I’ll never forget in my lifetime as it taught me a lot."
