There was laughter, there was chaos, and then there was a moment that stilled the room. At the trailer launch of Welcome To The Jungle on Thursday, Akshay Kumar set aside the film’s comedic spirit for a few minutes to remember a man he called a very dear friend, the late Pankaj Dheer, who passed away in October 2025.

Akshay Kumar gets emotional at Welcome To The Jungle trailer launch remembering late Pankaj Dheer: “Yeh unki aakhri film thi”

A heartfelt farewell to a friend and colleague

Speaking at the event, Akshay grew visibly emotional as he addressed the audience in a mix of Hindi and English. “Main aapko yeh batana chahta hoon. I want to also mention about a very very very dear friend of mine in this film, Pankaj Dheer Sahab, joh meri pehli film mein the mere saath. Mere pehli film mein woh villain the mere saath, and jaise ki aap sab jaante hain, yeh unki aakhri film thi. I just want to mention about him. I love you Pankaj, wherever you are,” said Akshay.

(Translation: I want to tell all of you something. I would also like to mention a very, very, very dear friend of mine who is a part of this film, Pankaj Dheer Sahab. He was with me in my very first film. In that film, he played the villain opposite me. And as all of you know, this is his last film. I just want to mention him today. I love you, Pankaj, wherever you are.)

The tribute carried particular weight given the history the two actors shared. Dheer had played Ranbir Singh, the primary antagonist, in Saugandh (1991), Akshay’s debut film. Welcome To The Jungle now stands as Dheer’s final screen appearance, lending the film a bittersweet significance beyond its comedic premise.

Jungle madness and a promise of chaos

The trailer itself delivers on the franchise’s well-established promise of outrageous comedy, mistaken identities and larger-than-life situations. Sharing the trailer on social media, Akshay wrote: “Tension Out, Jungle Madness in! The ultimate stress buster is here to hijack your worries.”

The third chapter in the Welcome franchise, the film reunites much of the original ensemble while expanding the cast considerably. Akshay Kumar leads the lineup alongside Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Johny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Krushna Abhishek and Kiku Sharda.

Veterans Farida Jalal, Sudesh Berry and Puneet Issar round out the cast, alongside the late Pankaj Dheer in what will be his final performance.

Directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwallah, Rakesh Dang and Vedant Vikaas Baali, Welcome To The Jungle is scheduled to release in cinemas on June 26, 2026.

Also Read: Welcome To The Jungle trailer launch: Akshay Kumar jokes, “Pehle Raveena Tandon heroine thi. Ab heroine ki maa hai!”; also shares a fascinating generator van story of the actress