Welcome To The Jungle: 2026 Akshay Kumar Hindi Comedy Crime Drama Film, Trailer & Review

4to40.com 3 weeks ago Movie Reviews 657 Views

Movie Name: Welcome To The Jungle
Directed by: Ahmed Khan
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh, Rahul Dev, Mukesh Tiwari, Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Vrihi Kodvara
Genre: Crime, Action, Adventure, Comedy
Running Time: 165 Minutes
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Language: Hindi
Rating:
Production Companies: Base Industries Group
Budget: ₹- crore

Police officers Jay Bakshi and Sandhya have been given task to track down notorious criminal Raj Solanki. Things take an unexpected turn when JaY finds out that Raj plays a significant role in his life.

Welcome To The Jungle: Overview

Police officers Jay Bakshi (Ajay Devgn) and Sandhya (Juhi Chawla) have been tasked with tracking down and apprehending notorious criminal Raj Solanki (Naseeruddin Shah). However, things take an unexpected turn when Jai finds out that Raj plays a significant role in his life.

Akshay Kumar has officially reignited one of Bollywood’s most beloved comedy franchises with the release of the ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ teaser. Bringing back his iconic character Rajeev, the third installment promises a whirlwind of slapstick humor and “wild chaos” under the direction of Ahmed Khan. Set to hit cinemas on June 26, 2026, the film features a star-studded ensemble including Lara Dutta, Shreyas Talpade, and Mika Singh. Following the cult success of the original 2007 hit, fans are already hailing this new chapter as a guaranteed blockbuster, eagerly anticipating the return of the franchise’s trademark laughter and confusion.

The teaser indicates that the new film will stay true to the franchise’s trademark style of slapstick humour, outrageous confusion, and nonstop comic situations. The ‘Welcome’ series began with Welcome, which starred Feroz Khan, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, and Paresh Rawal. The film became a cult comedy and remains one of Bollywood’s most loved entertainers.

The teaser has generated strong excitement across social media, with many fans expressing confidence in the film’s box office prospects. One fan wrote, “Blockbuster hogi sir.” Another commented, “OG Rajeev Is back.” A user posted, “East or West akshay kumar sir is the best.” Another comment read, “King of comedy akshay kumar.” One fan added, “But Welcome 1st part ko koi beat nahi karsakta iconic.”

The second installment, ‘Welcome Back,’ was released in 2015. Actors John Abraham and Shruti Haasan replaced Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in that sequel. Interestingly, both ‘Welcome’ and ‘Welcome Back’ were directed by Anees Bazmee. Directed by Ahmed Khan, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ features a large ensemble cast including Lara Dutta, Shreyas Talpade, Kiku Sharda, Krushna Abhishek, Rahul Dev, Daler Mehndi, and Mika Singh in prominent roles.

Movie Trailer:

Movie Review:

Akshay Kumar film groans and moans, is rarely madcap enough

All right, eyes here, as I tell you more. The intention, from the get go, is clear. Whistle up a massive cast, making the previous editions of the Welcome series seem positively sparse in comparison. Have it led by Akshay Kumar, currently riding his comedy wave. Concoct a plot line where anything goes. Get in a couple of leggy ladies, whose job is to swoon and be silly. And when all else fails, conjure up a CGI gorilla.

Not going to bother sharing any other details because there are none. As befits such films, the premise is thinner than a wafer. A richie rich guy wants to make a flop film to pour black money down the drain, leading this bunch into a jungle where reel villains turn out to be real, and mayhem ensues.

The trouble with going down the brain rot path is that it needs to be consistently rotting our brains at a fast pace. Remember David Dhawan, who worked at a time when there was no internet constantly telling us how to define pop culture, in his heyday? This Welcome, groaning under the presence of all the heavyweights, lumbers about, giving us time to think. Where are the zippy writers when you need them?

And that, straight up, is the problem. It just isn’t madcap enough. For that the writing needs to be smart and self-aware, and the only time it is that is when it is parodying big bad Bollywood. There are, haha, swipes at Akshay’s long streak of flops, before his return to broad comedy; producers working hard to cook the books have been an urban legend; there’s even a jibe at stars and their obsession about vanity vans, which has a meta touch: how many such vans would the sets of this movie have housed at one time?

Those who enjoy these things will note the mini reunions of the cast from many yesteryear hits, including the previous editions of the Weclome series. Akshay, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal from Hera Pheri, as well as many of those who made their names with Mahabharat and Border. A village square is very Sholay-like, as are the horse-riding baddies. Other references abound: Raveena Tandon’s character will remind you of Rakhee from Karan Arjun (two characters in this one are named thus), while doing a little nudge-wink moment with Akshay; Jackie Shroff’s kohl-eyed, flowy-locked baddie is nothing but a version of Akshaye Khanna in Dhurandhar, which has already turned into an urban legend, given how often it’s mentioned.

Alert viewers will also note that the film is nothing but desi take of the 2008 Tropic Thunder, in which Ben Stiller and co had sent up the rah-rah Vietnam movies Hollywood loved churning out, as well as the celebrity worship of its time: in that one, a fading Hollywood star was aiming for lost glory, and that’s what a Bollywood star is doing here.

But the jabs in Ahmed Khan’s film land softly: anything harder would be impossible in an industry full of fragile egos, even if it has no problem making fun of disability, knowing people will laugh. And they did, in my show, with Farida Jalal’s old lady’s stammer becoming a nudge. Ugh. Stuffing your film with a large ensemble, without giving them enough to work with, results even in fine actors like Arshad Warsi floundering. Also, a woman’s waist is not where you first train your camera in her introduction scene. Double ugh.

And given our times, a dose of patriotism even in brainless comedies seems to have become non-negotiable. A strong streak of let’s-save-India-from-the-mujahideens colours the anti-Bajrangi Bhaijaan second half: that little girl who has lost her voice finds it when she is safe in India, having left her terrorist-ridden border POK village behind. An elderly man (Kiran Kumar) speaks in high-falutin’ Urdu that no one understands: why spare a language which is consistently being invisibilised? Not funny.

The film ends with plastering the screen with a single star from an unknown critic, haha, and an announcement of it having become a hit. Wishful thinking? Or brain-rot zindabad, because when nothing else around us is making sense, why should our brains have to do any work? But how much lower can your low hanging fruit go? Daler Mehndi’s big scene involves a bullet and a bum. Slapping and spitting are still being used as tired comic devices. Sigh.

Me, I don’t have any problem with dimaag occasionally being turned into dahi when I’m at such movies, because that’s the ask. Just don’t bore me.

Welcome To The Jungle: Movie Songs

Song Title: Welcome To The Jungle Title Track
Lyrics: Meggha Bali
Music Composer: Vikram Montrose
Singer(s): Shaan, Priya Patidar & Vikram Montrose