Suniel Shetty has revealed that he almost did not sign ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, and the reason was the film’s jaw-dropping ensemble cast. The veteran actor, who is now celebrating the film’s strong box office opening, has spoken candidly about his initial doubts, his take on ‘Tropic Thunder’ comparisons, and what lies ahead with his upcoming action thriller Hitman alongside Tiger Shroff.
Why Suniel Shetty was initially sceptical
Despite ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ turning out to be a crowd-pleaser, Suniel Shetty admitted that the scale of the project was daunting at first. He told Mid-Day, “Initially I was sceptical about doing it, as I wasn’t sure whether justice could be done to so many actors,” referring to the film’s principal cast of over 30 actors. It was his trust in the people behind the project that swung the decision. He said, “I knew the script was over-the-top, but because I was comfortable with my producer Firoz A Nadiadwallah and Ahmed, I said yes to it.“
Suniel Shetty on ‘Tropic Thunder’ comparisons
‘Welcome to the Jungle’ has been widely compared to Ben Stiller’s 2008 Hollywood comedy ‘Tropic Thunder’, which features a film crew accidentally caught up in a real combat situation in the jungle. Shetty, however, is not losing sleep over the parallels. He said, “Comparisons will keep happening. What makes a difference is the writing, performances, the director’s vision, and our belief that over-the-top, brain rot cinema will also work. We are nobody to judge. Audiences have enjoyed ‘Welcome to the Jungle’.”Ahmed Khan‘s directorial has reportedly crossed the Rs 50 crore mark over its opening weekend. In the same conversation, the actor also made a case for the importance of entertaining, family-friendly films alongside big-budget action spectacles like ‘Dhurandhar’. He said, “I love Aditya Dhar’s cinema. For me, entertainment is [a movie] that appeals to kids and families. The way they are going to the theatres for ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ speaks for itself.“
Suniel Shetty teases his role in ‘Hitman’
With ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ wrapped, Suniel Shetty is now focused on ‘Hitman’, an action thriller directed by Sachin Ravi where he plays a mentor to Tiger Shroff’s character. While rumours suggested that his role carries grey shades, the actor kept things close to his chest. He said, “I cannot say anything till the producer announces it. Grey is always good, but black never is.”
More about ‘Welcome to the Jungle’
Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film features Akshay Kumar, alongside Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, and Rajpal Yadav.The movie also stars Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, and more.It was released in theatres on June 26, 2026.
