Aftab said – I used to look forward to food more than shooting: Director said – It seemed as if we were making memories, not films.
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Till now, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ has been discussed about its big star cast and scale, but for the people associated with the film, the most special thing about it was something else. Director Ahmed Khan and actor Aftab Shivdasani told Dainik Bhaskar that during the long shooting schedule, the set of the film was not just a place of work, but also became a space where the actors spent time together, rekindled the old chemistry and created many new memories. Both of them told that many times people used to stay on the set even after the shoot was over, because the atmosphere there seemed more like a big gathering than a film. Question: What made the set of this film different from other films? Answer/Ahmed Khan: Generally people come to the film, do their work and go away. It was not like that here. Here people were enjoying being on the set. Many times, the artists whose shoots were not scheduled were also present because they feared that something interesting might be missed. Gradually such an environment was created where friendship and belongingness were also associated with work. Question: How was the atmosphere maintained among so many artists? Answer/Ahmed Khan: When so many people work together, everyone has their own energy. Some come with a lot of preparation, some change things on the spot. I felt that if everyone was allowed to open up a little, better things would come out. My job was only to give the right direction to that energy. Question: Did you ever feel that people were coming more for each other than for the shoot? Answer/Ahmed Khan: Yes, many times. But I think that was the best thing about this film. People were not just going after work, they were also spending time together. Many people said that they felt as if their college days were back. Question: How useful was improvisation in comedy? Answer/Ahmed Khan: Very much. Many times the scene would start from the script but its form would change because of the actors. The fun of comedy is that if you give it some space, many good things come out. Question: Aftab, how was it to return with this team after so many years? Answer/Aftab Shivdasani: Felt very comfortable. It didn’t feel like so many years had passed. There are some relationships where you don’t have to start over. The conversation just starts from where it left off. Question: What was the most memorable thing during the shooting? Answer/Aftab Shivdasani: I used to joke that I used to look forward to lunch more than the shoot. But there was truth in it also. Lunch time was the time when everyone sat together, talked and laughed. Many memories were made there. Question: If you have to tell this entire journey in one line, what would you say? Answer/Ahmed Khan: Many times it felt like we were not making a film, we were making memories. After living together for such a long time, a different bond had formed between everyone. Question: What will be your biggest memory of this film? Answer/Aftab Shivdasani: For me, even after so many years, the same sense of belongingness remains among the people. Movies end, but some people and some moments remain. This is what I will miss the most. ________________________________________ Read this interview also.. Disha said – Learned a lot from big artists: Arshad Warsi said – Shooting was never a job, I enjoyed spending time with friends. The experience of working with a big star cast in ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ was not limited to just shooting for the artists. Disha Patani described it as an opportunity to learn and understand, while according to Arshad Warsi, the environment of the set was so comfortable that the pressure of work was not felt. While talking to Dainik Bhaskar, both the actors told that the biggest strength of this film was the coordination between the actors and the time spent together. Read the full interview.. Akshay Kumar said – Talk after hit-flop: A special relationship was created after working together for two and a half years; Sunil Shetty said – We might not get such a star cast again. The film ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ was not only a multi-starrer film, but was also a journey of memories and relationships for the artists. While talking to Dainik Bhaskar, Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty shared stories related to the film. Akshay told that working with a big star cast was like a picnic, where shooting was also fun. Read the full interview..
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