New Delhi: Fans of the 'Welcome' franchise can't envision it without the iconic characters Udai Bhai and Majnu Bhai, portrayed by Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor. However, in an interview with The Lallantop, Nana Patekar revealed why they declined to participate in the upcoming third installment, "Welcome to the Jungle."
Nana Patekar on refusing 'Welcome to the Jungle'
Nana credited the success of the 2007 cult comedy 'Welcome' to director Anees Bazmee. He shared that he was initially skeptical about playing Udai Bhai and only agreed after Anees swore on his mother that the role would suit him. Nana emphasized the importance of his and Anil's collaboration, stating, "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."
Reflecting on the sequel, 'Welcome Back' (2015), which was also directed by Anees Bazmee, Nana noted that it did not perform well at the box office. He explained why he and Anil turned down the upcoming threequel, directed by Ahmed Khan: "They did approach us. We said no. Kahani nahi hai. Utna mazza nahi aaya (There's no story. We didn't enjoy it as much)."
About Welcome
Anees Bazmee's 2007 blockbuster also starred Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Feroz Khan, and Mallika Sherawat. In the 2015 sequel, Anil, Nana, and Paresh reprised their roles, but the leads were replaced by John Abraham and Shruti Haasan, with Naseeruddin Shah and Dimple Kapadia joining the cast. However, the sequel failed at the box office.
Welcome To The Jungle
'Welcome to the Jungle,' scheduled for a Christmas 2024 release, features a large ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Disha Patani, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Mika Singh, Daler Mehndi, Shreyas Talpade, Pitobash, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Rahul Dev, Inaamulhaq, Sharib Hashmi, Kiku Sharda, Krushna Abhishek, Johnny Lever, and Yashpal Sharma.
Meanwhile, Nana Patekar will next be seen in Anil Sharma's 'Journey' and Prakash Jha's web series 'Laal Batti,' also starring Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub.
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