Mumbai: As ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ gears up for its theatrical release on June 26, Akshay Kumar has added a dose of humour to the film’s promotions with a playful request to movie critics.
Sharing a poster of the comedy caper, the actor penned a message for critics and influencers, “Critics and influencers, please replace star ratings with laughter emojis.”
Akshay’s remark comes at a time when Hindi films are facing intense scrutiny online, with every release being closely analysed by the audience and critics alike.
Social media platforms have become a hub for instant reviews and debates. Films are frequently judged within hours of release, with online trolls and commentators dissecting everything from performances to box-office prospects.
Helmed by Ahmed Khan, ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ stars 34 actors — Akshay, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johnny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroz Khan (Arjun), the late Pankaj Dheer, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry, Jeetu Verma, Vrihi Kodvara, Adityaa Singgh, and Bhagya Bhanushali.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India about working with such a massive cast, the director said: “Imagine setting up a shoot of this scale; we didn’t just need a ground, we had to find two massive, adjacent grounds. Why? Because we needed space to park 50 vanity vans. We needed additional holding areas for the background actors and cabins for the main unit. Then consider the commute. The actors arrive in their cars, the technicians in theirs, plus separate vehicles for the makeup teams, hair stylists, and personal staff. We were dealing with 200 to 250 cars arriving daily. Managing our set was less like managing a traditional film shoot and more like organising a massive music concert every single day!”
