Ahmed Khan Reveals Sanjay Dutt Shot For Two Days Before Exiting Welcome To The Jungle

Before Welcome to the Jungle arrived in theatres on June 26, one question dominated fan discussions:

Why was Sanjay Dutt missing from the film despite being part of its original announcement? Director Ahmed Khan has now revealed that the actor’s exit had nothing to do with creative differences and was purely the result of scheduling conflicts.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Ahmed said Sanjay Dutt had already filmed for two days before repeated date clashes forced the team to recast the role with Suniel Shetty.

‘Baba Shot For Two Days’

Ahmed revealed that the character remained unchanged even after the casting switch.

“It was always written this way. That was always the plan. In the beginning, when we announced the film, Sanjay Dutt shot for two days. But there were so many date issues. Baba had to go away for a whole month,” he said.

The director added that Sanjay repeatedly tried to accommodate the production by reshuffling his schedule, but the team ultimately decided not to inconvenience him further.

“Then the second time, another little issue happened, and he said, ‘I will shift my dates again.’ Then we felt guilty and said, ‘Baba, we can’t make you shift your schedule.’ Then he said, ‘How much will you guys adjust for me?’ So we had to let go of certain things. The show must go on,” Ahmed recalled.

According to the filmmaker, the transition was handled amicably, with the cast rallying behind the project.

“Sanju told Suniel, ‘You do my role,’ and Suniel told Jackie Shroff, ‘You do my role.’ That just shows everybody wanted this film to happen,” he added.

Why Suniel Shetty Was The Perfect Replacement

Ahmed said Suniel Shetty naturally slipped into the role, allowing the filmmakers to build on the actor’s well-known screen persona.

“As for Anna (Suniel Shetty), organically, Suniel Shetty’s name has Shetty, so it fits perfectly with the character name. And he took the traits from Awara Paagal Deewana,” he said.

In the film, Suniel plays the brother of Uday Shetty, the iconic character portrayed by Nana Patekar in the Welcome franchise. Ahmed explained that the references to Suniel’s popular “Yeda Anna” avatar were intentional, giving longtime fans a sense of nostalgia while introducing the character to a new generation.

About Welcome To The Jungle

Welcome To The Jungle reunites the beloved Hera Pheri trio of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal alongside a massive ensemble cast that includes Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani and several other actors.

The comedy entertainer is currently running in 3,789 shows across India and has crossed the ₹100-crore mark at the domestic box office.