‘Welcome to the Jungle’ may have crossed the Rs 186 crore worldwide mark, but the film’s reception drew criticism for a slow, congested second half that showed clear similarities to Ben Stiller’s ‘Tropic Thunder’. In a recent interview, the film’s writer: Farhad Samji answered all of them. from finishing what the late screenwriter Neeraj Vohra started, how Akshay Kumar responded to play a hero whose films keep flopping on the screen.
Farhad Samji to continue Neeraj Vohra’s vision
In a conversation with SCREEN, Samji explained that the film’s original screenplay came from Neeraj Vohra, who passed away in 2017, after which Samji stepped in to handle the dialogues and characters.Farhad opens, “Neeraj Vohra has given some of the biggest hits of his time. As a writer, I was associated with him during Bol Bachchan. He acted in that film, and as writers, we kept sharing ideas. This idea about Welcome To The Jungle was told to me by Firoz sir; they wanted me to write the dialogues. After Golmaals and Housefulls, dialogues became very important. It took time, but everything fell into place. For three and a half years, we have been shooting, narrating, and working on the film; it’s not an easy process.”The writer added, “There are no changes that I have to make. I specialize in characterization – the dialogue delivery of Kiran Kumar, the character of Farida Jalal, and Johnny Lever who is silent while speaking; all this I included. There is pressure as the stars of the film are 34 actors; you have a relationship with all of them. I have done 13 films with Johnny Lever Akshay, with Johnny Lever Akshay, with Arshay. 18-19 films What works for me is transparency.“
How Akshay Kumar reacted to playing a “flop actor”
One of the most talked about threads in the film is Akshay Kumar playing a Bhojpuri actor whose last 14 movies have all been filled with a plot point that many viewers have connected with Kumar’s own recent run at the box office. According to Samji, the actor is never afraid of the same.Farhad revealed, “I went to London to narrate the first draft of Welcome to Akshay, where he was shooting for Khel Khel Mein. I was also curious to know how he would react to the flop actor sequence, as he plays a flop actor whose 14 films are full. He jumped on it and said it was the best line in the entire sequence. He knew the state of the film demanded that; it’s not a joke to him.”Farhan added, “Taking the sequence of black money or vanity van discussion was not our first criterion; it was Neeraj Vohra’s screenplay that we worked on and added humor to it. In Welcome to the Jungle, we know that this world has producers, vanity vans, etc. Firoz Nadiadwala, me, and Ahmed Khan are fighting; This? We write 20-25 drafts, sit several times before the sequences, and make changes before each schedule according to the actors. We think of many ifs, buts, and other options. “
Responding to ‘Tropic Thunder’ comparisons and a crowded second half
On the criticism surrounding the film’s packed frames and its resemblance to ‘Tropic Thunder’, Samji points to the creative tension on the set, “Firoz still thinks the frame is empty. Ahmed and I are trying to explain to him that it is enough. We also need to be logical, so we need to have a number of scenes. I had never seen Tropic Thunder until I was told about the script, and I worked with what I was given. As I worked on the characters, even the second part of the story was different from Tropic Thunder. But what happens is, we play within certain aspects, so there are similarities, but we try to add innovation.Samji also spoke about the wider pressure that writers face today saying, “Today, as a creative, there is a mental filter. While the first draft has an open mind, while revising it, a few things should be kept in mind. Sometimes, even if we have no such intention, somewhere, people get offended. So we have to keep a filter, but this kind of comedy is a no-brainer, and people don’t check it. If someone sits down to pick out the mistakes it’s a different matter, but I don’t think the audience will do it. If I keep thinking about it, I can’t write.”
What’s next for Farhad Samji?
Samji revealed that he is currently developing three to four new scripts and is expected to announce his next directorial venture soon.
More about ‘Welcome to the Jungle’
Directed by Ahmed Khan, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ is a star-studded action-comedy led by Akshay Kumar, alongside Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Disha Patani and Jacqueline Fernandez, with a supporting ensemble of 34 actors in total. The story follows a corrupt tycoon who tries to launder black money by deliberately bankrolling a big-budget film designed to fail, only for its unsuspecting director and a fading superstar to be swept up in a real-life terrorist stop in the fictional village of Azad Nagar.