Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar's highly anticipated film Welcome To The Jungle (Welcome 3), which went on floors in December 2023, has reportedly run into serious financial trouble. According to media reports, the shoot of the film has been halted due to financial issues and pending payments.
Reportedly, the last schedule of Welcome 3 was shot in August 2023, but no further progress has been made in the last 9–10 months. The film's future is now uncertain as a major portion of the shoot still remains.
According to a report in Pinkvilla, the situation is concerning, as none of the cast members have received their promised fees.
"Around two to three schedules of Welcome To The Jungle have been cancelled over the last six months, leaving the actors and their team confused about the prospects. The actors have been allotting dates for the shoot of Welcome To The Jungle to producer Firoz Nadiadwala, and the same stands cancelled at the last minute due to logistical and financial issues," a source informed the news portal.
"There are also issues of non-payment of dues to the actors and their staff. Some of the originally cast actors have left the film, and the remaining are still lending their support for the love of the franchise. They all believe that Welcome is a loved franchise, and are willing to adjust their dates to finish Welcome To The Jungle," the source added.
Another report in a Hindi news publication stated that lead actor Akshay holds an 80 per cent stake, with the remaining 20 per cent owned by producer Firoz Nadiadwala and others. However, Nadiadwala has not issued any public statement on the matter so far.
Welcome To The Jungle was announced in September 2023, on the occasion of Akshay's 56th birthday.
The cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh, Rahul Dev, Mukesh Tiwari, Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani and Vrihi Kodvara.
Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film was first scheduled to hit the big screens on December 20, 2024.
