Director Ahmed Khan recently revealed that Welcome To The Jungle was shot on a large scale, with nearly 900 people on set, 50 vans, around 250 cars and a total budget of Rs 110 crore. The big-budget multi-starrer film stars Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez,
Sunil Shetty
,
Paresh Rawal
,
Raveena Tandon
Among other notable actors. As it shines
Tusshar Kapoor
Who now spoke about the scale of production in a recent interview.
He often found himself thinking about the enormous day-to-day costs involved in producing such a film.Tusshar admitted that agreeing to be a part of a film with a cast of 34 was not an immediate decision. He recalled receiving the offer while in London about three years ago, and said it took some time before he was convinced.“I was in London when I was offered the welcome. It was three years ago. Ahmed called me and I was very excited.
When we met, he told me about all the people who appeared in the film. I was so confused. Over the next few months, after hearing the story and my character, I concluded that I was safe in his hands. So it was a process, it wasn’t a green flag right away. It took me a while to believe that I was in good hands. Ahmed was the motivation that pushed me to do this film.
When it’s him, there’s a lot of trust and blind faith. He was the choreographer in my first film,” he said in an interview with Screen.
Looking at the atmosphere during the shoot, Tusshar described the set as lively and full of camaraderie, and compared it to a bustling college cafeteria where everyone freely mingle with each other.“You can’t describe the chemistry on the sets. There were so many actors that everyone was hanging out with everyone. Everyone was finding their comfort zone. It felt like films were being made in the old days, like Mughal-e-Azam or Rajkumar Kohli films where there were so many stars.”
It felt like there was a party happening. Ahmed wanted everyone to be happy. “I felt like I was in a college cafeteria.”As someone who understands filmmaking from both the creative and commercial sides, Tusshar said the scale of production often made him calculate the expenses in his head. The endless line of pickup trucks and large workforce made him wonder whether such an investment was practical, although he admired Ahmed Khan’s ambition.“When I would get to the set, it would take five minutes to get to our truck because we had to go through this huge line of trucks. I used to just look at these trucks and wonder what the daily cost of so many trucks and staff would be. Is it really worth it to hire so many actors? I used to wonder that even though Ahmed has a vision, he is introducing a new genre that has never been tried before in India, but is there really justification for having so many actors and doing so much karsha? Ahmed was adamant about it. He needs everyone for every shot.
There was a year-long gap in shooting Hello. When the film’s shooting resumed, he never thought of shooting with the actors available on the sets. He stuck to his guns and finished the movie.Tusshar also participated in the ongoing discussion on entourage expenses in the entertainment industry. While he acknowledged that some amenities are necessary for actors to perform their best, he stressed that there should be a reasonable limit.“There has to be a balance. Some of that cost, even if it’s a bit exaggerated, is required. You need your own hairstylist, your own makeup man. You need some perks. With the pressure that a leading actor or actress goes through, you need some comfort and space and luxury to bring out your best. This is a visual medium, so to bring that beauty, you need some kharcha and pampering. That’s okay. But there is a limit. The basic requirements should not go beyond vanity to the point that it becomes narcissism.”
It should not be done to satisfy your ego. “This is not good.”
