Is Akshay Kumar’s Welcome 3 aka Welcome To The Jungle on hold? This question is troubling fans after the film’s announcement video disappeared from JioStudios’ official YouTube channel. Although there is no confirmation if the film has been on hold or if JioStudios has backed out of the project, this is troubling Akshay Kumar’s fans. Speculations are already rife on social media platforms as the film has already been the subject of controversies.
The much-awaited third installment in the popular Welcome series, Welcome to the Jungle, created tremendous excitement when it was announced in 2023. The film was set to star Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh, Mukesh Tiwari, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma, along with Sayaji Shinde, Jackie Shroff and Aftab Shivdasani.
However, Sanjay Dutt left the film due to scheduling issues. Bollywood Hungama quoted a source as saying, “Sanjay Dutt has cited scheduling issues as the reason for his exit. He has conveyed all the issues to his good friend Akshay, who has taken the points into consideration and has nothing against him. Sanjay Dutt felt that the shooting of Welcome To The Jungle was unplanned, with too many changes in the script, which messed up his shooting schedule, and hence he opted out.” According to the report, Sanjay had already shot for 15 days and the makers were unsure whether to reshoot his scenes or incorporate his disappearance into the story.
Nana Patekar, who played the iconic character Uday Shetty in Welcome, also spoke about how Welcome 3 lacked a story and that’s why he turned down the film. Speaking to The Lallantop, he said, “They approached us (he and Anil Kapoor, who played Majnu Bhai in Welcome). We said no. Kahani nahi hai. Utna mazza nahi aaya… If Anil and I are in it, only Welcome is possible. If they take me out, he cannot do Welcome alone and vice versa.” Nana Patekar also mentioned that the film’s sequel, Welcome Back, did not do well at the box office.
Welcome To The Jungle is one of the most anticipated projects of the year. Not only does it mark Akshay Kumar’s return to comedy after many years, but it also features an ensemble cast of more than 30 actors, a phenomenon that has become a rarity in new Bollywood. While the makers have finalized the initial schedule of the film, rumors are rife that the film is eyeing a new release date. Welcome To The Jungle was originally scheduled to hit the theatres on December 20, 2025. However, the removal of the announcement video has led to speculations that the film is in trouble. However, it is important to reiterate that there is no confirmation from JioStudios or the film’s team yet.
