Paresh Rawal, Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar to reunite for Welcome 4; scripting kickstarts

A still from ‘Welcome to the Jungle’

A laugh riot is exactly what cinemas need, and producer Firoz A Nadiadwallah seems ready to deliver just that. His upcoming film Welcome to the Jungle - the third instalment in the Welcome franchise - is scheduled to hit theatres on June 26. While the multi-starrer is nearing completion, with just one song left to shoot, the producer has already begun work on the fourth instalment.

Paresh Rawal as Dr Ghungroo, Nana Patekar as Uday Shetty and Anil Kapoor as Majnu Bhai

What's more exciting is that the characters Uday Shetty, Majnu Bhai, and Dr Ghungroo - crowd favourites since Welcome (2007) and Welcome Back (2015) - will return in the fourth edition. "Firoz and his team of writers have been writing the script for Welcome 4. It is in the advanced stages now," informs a source close to the production, which will see the return of Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, and Paresh Rawal.

Interestingly, Rawal will also feature in Welcome to the Jungle, but "he [will not] play Dr Ghungroo but a different character." The source adds, "The scripting of Welcome 4 is being done in such a way that these three characters will be woven organically into the plot. The story will be completely different."

In the earlier editions, the late actor Feroz Khan and Naseeruddin Shah played the antagonists. The source shares that for the fourth film, the makers are keen to introduce new villains. "Welcome 4 will have more than one lovable don who are more known for their comic capers and timing than their underworld deeds. Top leading actors are in talks for these roles. It comes under the family universe which includes humour, glamour, and action," says the source.