"Lagta hai Tom and Jerry jud gaye hain.." : Rajpal Yadav talks about his on-set bond with Akshay Kumar in 'Welcome to the Jungle'
ETimes June 25, 2026 12:39 AM
Akshay Kumar and Rajpal Yadav shared screen space in David Dhawan's 2003 romantic comedy ' Mujhse Shaadi Karogi ', little did they know that they would go on to work together in many popular comedies. Now, ahead of the release of ' Welcome to the Jungle ', Yadav has reflected on the long association with Akshay, sharing about their on-set banter and playful moments
Recalling how their equation has been described by filmmaker Priyadarshan, who directed them together in ' Garam Masala ' and 'Bhagam Bhag', Rajpal said, "Believe me, since around 2003, whether it's 'Garam Masala' or 'Bhagam Bhag', whenever Rajpal has teamed up with Akshay paji, Priyan ji was right when he said it feels like Tom and Jerry have joined forces...humein bhi lagne lagta hai kuch Tom and Jerry jud gaye hain...," he told ANI.
Yadav added that the dynamic began the moment they first worked together. "That relationship started on the first day's fight, and directly or indirectly, in the form of creativity, that back-and-forth still happens between us today," he said, noting that social media has made every exchange between them more visible than ever before.
He was careful to draw a line between performance and reality, however. "Lekin yeh hum logon ki jo fight hai, creative fight hai aur hum jab scene bhi karte hain, toh humein yaad hi nahin hota hai kaun bada hai, kaun chhota hai....This fight of ours is a creative fight, and even when we are doing a scene, we don't remember who is big or small," Yadav said. He admitted he wasn't sure of the exact age gap between them, though he acknowledged Kumar's seniority in the industry "by at least 8-10 years."
Yadav also spoke fondly of his long-standing ties with co-stars Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Farida Jalal and Johny Lever.
Directed by Ahmed Khan, 'Welcome To The Jungle' boasts one of the largest ensemble casts. Apart from Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty, the film also stars Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroze Khan, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry, Jeetu Verma, Vrihi Kodvara, Adityaa Singgh and Bhagya Bhanushali, among others.
An Ahmed Khan entertainer, 'Welcome To The Jungle' is presented by A A Nadiadwala, Cape of Good Films and Star Studio18 in association with Seeta Films and Rakesh Dang. It will be released in theatres on June 26.
