‘Anil Kapoor slapped me hard thrice during Welcome shoot’: Adi Irani recalls how actor didn’t apologise, did ‘it purposefully’

Actor Adi Irani has worked with several stars in the Hindi film industry, but not all his experiences with renowned actors have been pleasant. In a recent interaction, Adi recalled an incident from the filming of the 2007 hit Welcome, where Anil Kapoor slapped him hard three times during a scene. He also shared Anil’s reaction when he confronted the Mr. India actor about it.

Speaking to Filmymantra Media, Adi recounted, “I was wearing glasses in a scene where both Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar had to hit me. They both hit me, and I was reacting accordingly. They kept asking for re-takes, and during that, Anil Kapoor really slapped me two or three times. Even Nana Patekar ended up slapping me for real once. During the takes, my glasses turned, hurting my eye. Meri halat kharab ho gayi (My condition got worse). After the director said cut, Nana immediately apologized, but Anil Kapoor just walked away. I confronted him and said, ‘Anil ji, what is this? You slapped me really hard. This is not done.’ Anil replied, ‘It happened by mistake.’ I asked him, ‘How can it happen by mistake thrice?'”

When asked whether Anil Kapoor would dare to do the same with superstars like Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan, Adi remarked, “He did that purposefully; he does that to everyone. I think he believes that the more real he performs, the more authentic the reaction will be. But he won’t stab someone with a knife for real, right? He wouldn’t do this with Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan. I have also heard that he had similar issues with Amjad Khan.”

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Welcome, directed by Anees Bazmee, was a massive hit at the box office and featured an ensemble cast, including late actor Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat in prominent roles. The film’s third installment, Welcome to the Jungle, is set to release in 2025.