Nana Patekar On Turning Down Welcome To The Jungle: "There's No Story, We Didn't Enjoy It"

Fans were left disappointed when it was unveiled that Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor, who played the roles of Udai Bhai and Majnu Bhai respectively in the Welcome franchise, will not be a part of the upcoming threequel, Welcome To The Jungle. Now, in an interview with The Lallantop, the Bluffmaster star has revealed why he turned down the film.  “They did approach us. We said no. Kahani nahi hai. Utna mazza nahi aaya. (There's no story. We didn't enjoy it as much),” Nana said.

In the same interview, the actor also recalled that he was skeptical of playing Udai Bhai initially. “But it wouldn't have been complete if Anil and I weren't doing it together. If Anil and I are there, then only Welcome is possible. If you remove me, then he alone can't make Welcome and vice-versa,” Nana said.

At the trailer launch of The Vaccine War, headlined by Nana Patekar, he was asked about his absence in the latest instalment of the comedy franchise. To this, Nana Patekar said, “I am not a part of it, maybe they think hum bahut puraane ho gaye hai (I have become outdated)."

Nana Patekar, a recipient of three National Film Awards, is known for his work in films such as Natsamrat, Wajood, Parinda, Ab Tak Chhappan and Yeshwant, among others. He was last seen in The Vaccine War. In The Vaccine War, he essayed the role of Balram Bhargava, former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), who was actively involved in dealing with the pandemic and was part of the country's Covid working group.