30 June,2026 07:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Welcome to the Jungle announcement. Pic via YouTube
Ahmed Khan's directorial Welcome to the Jungle has been basking in its box office success. However, long before the film hit the screens, it was already creating buzz thanks to its massive ensemble cast. Following the release, many users pointed out that Sanjay Dutt, who appeared in the initial announcement video, was missing from the film. Now, Ahmed Khan has broken his silence on Sanjay Dutt's casting, revealing that he was originally a part of the film featuring 34 actors.
Speaking to News18, Ahmed shared, "Sanju Baba loved the script, and he really wanted to be a part of the film. Film mein itne saare friends the unke (Quite a few of his friends were working on the film), Jaggu Dada (Jackie Shroff), Akshay Kumar, etc. He was thrilled. We shot a part of the film with him. But he had date issues. He had to go to the US. He went there for his treatment, and I couldn't shift the dates of so many actors."
Ahmed added that Sanjay didn't just exit the project; in fact, he helped the makers recast his role by suggesting Suniel Shetty and Jackie Shroff. Ahmed shared, "He graciously called Suniel Shetty and told him to play the character that he was supposed to play and requested Jackie Shroff to play the role that Suniel Shetty was initially set to play. He set up a solution to his unavailability. We'll always remain grateful to baba for that."
In a separate interview with Times Now, the filmmaker also opened up about the budget of the film. He said, "Welcome to the Jungle, with cast, action, songs, everything, I haven't crossed more than Rs 115 crore to Rs 120 crore, or maybe Rs 125 crore. You count the interest money also. I haven't crossed the budget. And that has been recovered from digital, satellite, music and overseas (rights). The film is even. Now, whatever the film is making, it's the surplus. They're completely benefiting from it."
Welcome to the Jungle happens to be one of the biggest Bollywood films in terms of the number of A-listers on board. The movie has over 30 mainstream actors, including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani, Rajpal Yadav, among many others.
