Akshay Kumar embraced self-deprecating 'flop actor' role, says writer Farhad Samji
'Welcome To The Jungle', starring Akshay Kumar, earned Rs 186.58 crore worldwide and was a commercial success. However, critics panned the film for its slow second half, overcrowded cast, and similarities to Hollywood film 'Tropic Thunder'. In an interview with SCREEN, writer Farhad Samji addressed these criticisms and shared insights on developing the film post the death of original screenwriter Neeraj Vohra.
Samji explained that he took over the project after Vohra's death in 2017, focusing on dialogues and characterisation. He said, 'Neeraj Vohra gave some of the biggest hits of his time. As a writer, I connected with him during Bol Bachchan... This idea about Welcome To The Jungle was told to me by Firoz sir; they wanted me to write the dialogues.' Samji noted that the process took three and a half years, with multiple drafts and revisions.
One notable sequence in the film sees Akshay Kumar playing a Bhojpuri actor who has delivered a string of flops. Given Kumar's own recent box office struggles, some viewers interpreted this as a self-referential joke. Samji recalled Kumar's reaction: 'I had gone to London to narrate Welcome's first draft to Akshay... He jumped at it and said that was the best line of the whole sequence. He knew the situation in the film demanded that; it was not a joke on him.'
The film also includes light-hearted references to industry realities, such as producers using black money and actors demanding vanity vans. Samji clarified that these were not deliberate critiques but natural elements of the story. 'Having a take on the black money sequence or vanity van discussion was not our first criterion; it was Neeraj Vohra's screenplay that we were working on and adding laughter to it,' he said. With 34 actors in the cast, Samji emphasised the importance of transparency and collaboration with the actors, many of whom he had worked with previously.
Despite the film's box office performance, audience feedback criticised the second half as weak and cluttered. Some drew comparisons to 'Tropic Thunder'. Samji responded, 'Firoz still thinks the frame is...' (the original article cut off). He acknowledged the challenges of balancing a large ensemble and maintaining comedic momentum.
