Akshay Kumar’s multi-starrer comedy Welcome to the Jungle (also known as Welcome 3) has made an impressive start at the box office following its theatrical release. Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film arrived in cinemas amid strong anticipation, fuelled by the popularity of the Welcome franchise and its star-studded ensemble cast.
While critics have delivered mixed reviews—some praising the film’s unabashed slapstick humour and others criticising its overcrowded cast and logic-defying screenplay—the audience response at the box office has been encouraging. According to early estimates from Sacnilk, the comedy has posted a solid opening.
The film first generated strong momentum through its paid preview shows on Thursday before registering an impressive opening day collection on Friday.
Box Office Collection
- Paid Previews (Thursday): Rs 3.75 crore (net)
- Opening Day (Friday): Rs 15 crore (net)
- Total India Net Collection: Rs 18.75 crore
- Total India Gross Collection: Rs 22.50 crore
The film also collected Rs 6.50 crore gross from overseas markets, taking its worldwide opening-day total to Rs 29 crore gross.
The strong paid preview business placed Welcome to the Jungle among the highest-grossing Indian films in preview collections. With Rs 3.75 crore, it became the sixth highest-paid preview grosser, trailing only Akshay Kumar’s Bhooth Bangla, which had collected Rs 4 crore in previews.
On Friday, the film recorded an overall 26.46% theatrical occupancy across India. Night shows witnessed the highest footfall with 39.15% occupancy, while multiplexes in major cities contributed significantly to the collections. Among key markets, Lucknow led with 38.5% occupancy, followed by Jaipur (36%), Chennai (32.8%), and Delhi-NCR (28.5%).
About Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle follows a quirky group of people who find themselves stranded in a dangerous jungle while shooting a fake film reportedly mounted on a fictional budget of Rs 2,000 crore. As they encounter criminals and a series of bizarre situations, the group must work together to survive.
The film features a massive ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Sanjay Dutt, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta and Johnny Lever, among several other Bollywood actors.
With positive family footfalls and the weekend ahead, the comedy is expected to witness further growth in collections on Saturday and Sunday.