Welcome To The Jungle: Akshay Kumar Led Comedy Caper To Be Shot In Mumbai Amid Middle East Crisis- Report

Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have begun to disrupt not just global travel plans but also Bollywood’s carefully mapped shooting schedules. Meanwhile, Big-budget films that once relied on international locations for scale and glamour now find themselves recalibrating quickly. After impacting multiple productions, the situation has now forced another major shift, this time for Welcome to the Jungle, led by Akshay Kumar. What was meant to be a grand Dubai schedule has now been reworked entirely, with the makers opting to recreate the same extravagance closer home in Mumbai.

Welcome To The Jungle To Be Shot In Mumbai Amid Middle East Crisis

Director Ahmed Khan had originally planned to shoot an elaborate song sequence in Dubai, featuring the film’s massive ensemble cast. However, with the situation in the region remaining uncertain, the team chose to cancel the schedule altogether.

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A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar)

Postponing the shoot wasn’t a viable option. The song brings together the entire primary cast, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Raveena Tandon, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Lara Dutta, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shreyas Talpade, among many others—and coordinating their dates again would have been extremely challenging. So, the team pivoted. And they moved fast.

A source revealed to Mid-day. “Elaborate sets will be put up in Madh Island, Golden Tobacco Studio, and Film City in Goregaon. Created by production designer Sailesh Mhadik, the sets will depict nightclubs, casinos, and private jets. Ahmed and producer Firoz A Nadiadwallah essentially imagined it as a glamorous song that shows how the rich live the good life. That’s why Dubai would have been the perfect location. The unit waited for a month for things to settle down there, but when they didn’t, they shifted the location.”

Now, instead of international backdrops, Mumbai will host the spectacle. With large-scale sets recreating the luxury and opulence originally planned for Dubai. Confirming the change, Ahmed Khan said to Mid-day, “We will now shoot the song in Mumbai. It’s a glamorous song with the entire cast.” The shoot is scheduled to begin on April 15.

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Shah Rukh Khan’s King Dubai Shoot Shifted To Mumbai

This isn’t an isolated case. The ripple effects have already impacted other major productions, including King, starring Shah Rukh Khan. Reports suggest that the film’s desert shoot in the Middle East has also been moved to Mumbai due to the same concerns. As per reports, the makers chose to prioritise safety and logistics over location authenticity, mirroring the decision now taken by the Welcome to the Jungle team.

About Welcome To The Jungle

Welcome To The Jungle features an ensemble cast and, despite rumours of delays, producer Nadiadwala dismissed such speculation. He confirmed the film is complete and praised the entire team for managing the scale of this large project. Nadiadwala said, “They were rumours for a reason. That’s the difference between a fact and a rumour. I would like to say the movie is complete and the entire credit goes to the team, which is headed by Mr Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Suniel Shetty and MrAhmed Khan.”

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Also Read: Akshay Kumar Confesses Feeling Insecure Around Educated People; Says, “Bohot Chhota Mehsoos Karta Hoon”

Varsha Tiwari

Varsha Tiwari is a budding content writer passionate about Bollywood, pop culture, and the stories behind the spotlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. Always curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t always need words to make an impact.