'Welcome to Jungle': Ahmed Khan reacts to 'Tropic Thunder' comparisons
What's the story
Ahmed Khan, the director of Welcome to the Jungle, has dismissed comparisons between his film and Akshay Kumar's 2010 heist comedy Tees Maar Khan. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Khan said that while both films share a "film-within-a-film" concept, they are different in execution. He also spoke about the parallels to Ben Stiller's 2008 comedy, Tropic Thunder.
Unique identity
'Every film has its own unique identity'
Khan stressed that every film has its own unique identity. He said, "Every film arrives with its own distinct flavor. Look at Dangal and Sultan; they released in the exact same year, and both revolved around wrestling, yet they were completely different films." "It entirely depends on the filmmaker's execution," he added. "My vision was to create a movie about characters making a movie, who then get trapped in a real-world conflict and must find a way out."
Dismissed similarities
Khan on comparisons with 'Tropic Thunder'
Khan also dismissed comparisons between Welcome to the Jungle and the Hollywood hit Tropic Thunder. He said, "We all live with a sense of nostalgia, and almost every film today draws inspiration from something that came before it." "When I set out to make a war film, I asked myself, 'What direction should we take?' I decided we should lean entirely into fun." "The idea was essentially a Jumanji-esque approach: pull all those distinct worlds together into one cohesive narrative."
Script details
Script was written by late Neeraj Vora
The script for Welcome to the Jungle was written by late screenwriter Neeraj Vora before he fell ill and passed away in 2017. Khan praised Vora's writing skills, saying he was a "master of ensemble writing." He also revealed that producer Feroz Nadiadwala polished the script while staying true to Vora's creative vision. The film stars Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Jackie Shroff, and Raveena Tandon, among others. It was released on June 26 (Friday).