Bollywood fans are in for a treat as the beloved Hera Pheri trio, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawa, will be seen together once again, this time in Ahmed Khan’s upcoming adventure comedy Welcome to the Jungle. Before the much‑awaited Hera Pheri 3 goes on floors, the three actors will reunite on screen in this multi‑starrer, which is the third installment of the popular Welcome franchise. (File Photo)
Ahmed Khan has achieved what few filmmakers besides Priyadarshan managed in the past: bringing Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh together in one film. Their chemistry as Raju, Shyam, and Baburao in Hera Pheri remains iconic, and Khan admits that their timing is still impeccable. “I have great relations with Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh. I can’t believe they’re working in my film after Hera Pheri,” he said during the inaugural edition of SCREEN Spotlight. “They have the timing. If Akshay says something, then Paresh Rawal takes it from there, and then Suniel jumps in. There’s an unknown attachment that Baburao, Shyam, and Raju somewhere pop up in them. I’m taking advantage of that banter.” (Image: Instagram)
At the same time, Khan acknowledges the challenge of ensuring that their performances don’t slip into Hera Pheri territory. “I know that I don’t have to interfere too much. They know what they have to do. All I have to do is to see there’s not too much Hera Pheri happening. I then tell them to snap out of it and come back to the zone of the film,” he explained. (Image: IMDb)
The film boasts one of the biggest ensemble casts in recent memory. Alongside the Hera Pheri trio, Welcome to the Jungle features Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, and Shreyas Talpade from Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal franchise, comedians Kiku Sharda and Krushna Abhishek from The Great Indian Kapil Show, and entertainers like Daler Mehendi and Mika Singh. (Image: Instagram)
The lineup also includes Yashpal Sharma, Mukesh Tiwari, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Disha Patani, and Jacqueline Fernandez. (Image: Instagram)
Raveena Tandon, who reunites with Akshay Kumar after more than two decades, plays a Kashmiri character. Ahmed shared, “Raveena and I are very old friends. We all came into the film industry together. When I was planning this film, I told Raveena she has to do the part. When I narrated it to her, she said, ‘Ahmu, main toh karungi hi karungi.’ I really wanted her.” He added, “She plays a Kashmiri woman. She’s very serious and angry all the time. But when she talks, you think ye kyun bol rahi hai.” (Image: Instagram)
Managing such a massive cast has been no easy task. “To make such a film is not a joke. We had a minimum of 20 actors in a scene, and they went up to 34. We used to say, ‘It’s a less stressful day because there are only 15 actors on set.’ That’s still the full‑blown cast of an average film,” Khan revealed. (File Photo)
He further admitted, “It’s a tough job yaar. It’s not easy to manage each actor’s ego, their dates, their personal requirements, their dialogues. It’s not just action and cut today. There’s PR, there are ego massages, there are problems like one actor coming out of van while another doesn’t. Filmmaking is not like K Asif’s anymore, where you just smoke on set, and demand real diamonds instead of pearls. If you make those demands today, you’d be told to go home. If you have to survive today, you’ve to scratch their back so that they scratch yours.” (File Photo)
With Welcome to the Jungle slated for release mid‑next year, audiences will witness the Hera Pheri trio in a new setting, surrounded by an ensemble of comedy and action stars. For fans, it’s a double delight — a reunion ahead of Hera Pheri 3, and proof that their legendary timing still lights up the screen. (Image: IMDb)