Welcome producer on Suniel Shetty's intro scene: ‘Only Dubai has the ambience we wanted’

(L-R) Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty, and Mika Singh in ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. pic/Youtube

Ahmed Khan's directorial venture is nearing the finish line. At the end of March, mid-day reported that producer Firoz A Nadiadwallah had deferred a song shoot in Dubai amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia (Welcome to Plan B - March 31). However, the director-producer duo remain keen to film in Dubai to capture a luxe lifestyle - and to shoot at least Suniel Shetty's entry sequence in Welcome to the Jungle, alongside Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, and Rajpal Yadav.

Suniel Shetty. Pics/Instagram

The plan is now locked. The cast will fly to Dubai in mid-May to film the sequence. "Suniel's introduction scene will be one of the most expensive [sets] in the movie, shot over three days," a source reveals. The makers want Shetty's entry to echo Feroz Khan's iconic introduction in Welcome (2007). "Suniel plays a loveable don. The scene will be shot mid-sea, onboard a 200-foot sleek yacht with a helipad. Suniel and Arshad will get down from the helicopter and meet [the others]."

Ahmed Khan and Foroz A Nadiadwallah

The producer, in fact, insisted on shooting in Dubai. "It's one of the most important scenes in the movie. The team also felt that only Dubai suited the ambience and mood we wanted for this universal family entertainer," explains Nadiadwallah. Shetty, whose association with Dubai dates back 35 years, says he "feels safe safe and secure in Dubai". "We will be shooting a grand sequence there in May. I am very excited to work with Firoz bhai," the actor shares.

Arshad Warsi and Paresh Rawal

Also in Dubai

Alongside shooting the film, Suniel Shetty will host a business reality series, ‘Falcons of Majlis', which is "an investment-driven show similar to ‘Shark Tank'. I believe that Dubai will be back to its glory [soon]. Praying that peace comes to the world soon," he adds.