The scale of Welcome to the Jungle was always going to demand military precision. That challenge has now intensified, with the Akshay Kumar-led comedy making a major production pivot after its planned Dubai song schedule was shelved amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Rather than push the sequence indefinitely, the makers have chosen to move the entire song shoot to Mumbai. The switch keeps together a massive ensemble including Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Raveena Tandon, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Lara Dutta, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez and Shreyas Talpade. With so many actors involved, waiting for a fresh window would have complicated the production calendar significantly.
Mumbai Steps In For A Crucial Song Shoot
Director Ahmed Khan confirmed that the song will now be mounted in Mumbai instead of Dubai. “We will now shoot the song in Mumbai. It’s a glamorous song with the entire cast,” he said.
That decision is less a compromise and more a practical solution for one of the film’s most logistically demanding portions. The sequence was designed as a large-format, high-visibility number, and the team has chosen to redesign the shoot locally instead of allowing international uncertainty to stall this leg of filming.
Recreating Dubai Glamour On A Mumbai Backlot
The visual ambition, however, has not changed. The makers are building expansive sets across Madh Island, Golden Tobacco Studio and Film City in Goregaon to recreate the glossy scale first imagined for Dubai. Production designer Sailesh Mhadik is overseeing the construction, with the set pieces including nightclubs, casinos and private jets.
The shoot is scheduled to begin on April 15, making this one of the film’s biggest near-term production milestones. By rebuilding the environment in Mumbai, the team is aiming to retain the song’s spectacle while sidestepping the disruption of an overseas halt.
Why The Mumbai Shift Matters For The Release Plan
The production pivot now feeds directly into the film’s larger theatrical ambitions. Directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwala, Welcome to the Jungle is the third installment in the Welcome franchise and one of the most expansive comedy ensembles currently in the Hindi film pipeline. Its cast includes Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Disha Patani and Jacqueline Fernandez.
The film is slated for a theatrical release on June 26, 2026. Positioned as a large-scale comic caper, it continues the franchise’s taste for chaotic humor, eccentric characters and star-driven set pieces.
For Akshay Kumar, the film is also a key part of his current big-screen slate. His recent releases included Sky Force in 2025, while Khel Khel Mein and Sarfira arrived in 2024. Looking ahead, Welcome to the Jungle and Bhoot Bangla remain among his confirmed theatrical titles, underlining how important this phase is in his theatrical lineup.
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