Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty Starrer Welcome To The Jungle SHELVED? Here's What We Know

Is Akshay Kumar’s Welcome 3 aka Welcome To The Jungle shelved? This question has concerned fans after the film’s announcement video went missing from JioStudios’ official YouTube channel. While there is no confirmation whether the film has been shelved or if JioStudios has backed out from the project, this has left Akshay Kumar’s fans worried. Speculations have begun swirling on social media platforms as the film has already been the subject of controversies.

The highly anticipated third instalment of the beloved Welcome franchise, Welcome to the Jungle, created a massive buzz when it was announced in 2023. The film was supposed to feature Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh, Mukesh Tiwari, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma, and Sayaji Shinde, Jackie Shroff and Aftab Shivdasani.

However, Sanjay Dutt left the film due to date issues. Bollywood Hungama quoted a source as saying, “Sanjay Dutt has cited date issues for his exit. He has conveyed all the issues to his dear friend Akshay, who took the points into account and holds no bad blood. Sanjay Dutt felt that the Welcome To The Jungle shoot was happening in an unplanned way, with too many changes in the script, disturbing his diary of the shoot, and hence has parted ways.” As per the report, Sanjay had already shot for 15 days and makers were confused about whether they should reshoot his scenes or integrate his disappearance into the story.

Nana Patekar, who played the iconic character of Uday Shetty in Welcome, also spoke about how Welcome 3 lacks a story and hence, he rejected the film. Speaking to The Lallantop, he said, “They did approach us (him and Anil Kapoor, who played Majnu Bhai in Welcome). We said no. Kahani nahi hai. Utna mazza nahi aaya…If Anil and I are there, then only Welcome is possible. If you remove me, then he alone can’t make Welcome and vice-versa.” Nana Patekar also mentioned how the film’s sequel, Welcome Back, did not work well at the box office.

Welcome To The Jungle is one of the most highly anticipated projects of the year. It will not only mark Akshay Kumar’s return to comedy after many years but also witness an ensemble comprising more than 30 actors, a phenomenon that has become a rarity in new-age Bollywood. While the makers have wrapped the first schedule of the film, the buzz is that the film is eyeing a new release date. Welcome To The Jungle was all set to release on December 20, 2025. However, the removal of the announcement video has led to speculations about the film being in trouble. However, it is important to reemphasize that there is no confirmation from JioStudios or the film’s team yet.