- By Sidhi Agarwall
- Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:22 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Welcome to the Jungle Box Office Day 1: The massive ensemble comedy Welcome to the Jungle (also known as Welcome 3) has set the cash registers ringing following its grand theatrical release. Directed by Ahmed Khan and led by Akshay Kumar alongside a star-studded cast, the slapstick entertainer hit cinema screens riding a colossal wave of franchise nostalgia.
While film critics couldn't quite agree on the film's merits—with reviews ranging from warm praise for its over-the-top, brain-rotting humour to sharp criticism regarding a bloated cast and logic-free screenplay audiences are firmly voting with their wallets. According to early data from industry tracker Sacnilk, the jungle is officially winning.
Boosted by excellent pre-release hype, the comic caper pulled off record-breaking numbers through its special paid preview screenings on Thursday evening before exploding on its first official day. The current box office figures stand as follows:
Paid Previews (Thursday): Rs 3.75 crore net
Opening Day (Friday): Rs 15.00 crore net
Total India Net Collection: Rs 18.75 crore
Total India Gross Collection: Rs 22.50 crore
On the international stage, the movie added an extra Rs 6.50 crore gross from overseas markets. This brings the total worldwide opening haul for Welcome to the Jungle to a very impressive Rs 29.00 crore within its first 24 hours.
With limited screenings, the film's preview business was strong enough to make it the 6th highest-grossing Indian film of all time in terms of paid previews landing just behind Akshay Kumar's own Bhooth Bangla, which previously secured the 5th spot with Rs 4.00 crore.
The Bollywood movie recorded an overall theatrical occupancy of 26.46% across India on Friday, with late-night shows logging the highest traction at 39.15%. A lion's share of the domestic revenue was generated across primary urban centers and multiplex circuits. The top-performing regions included Lucknow leading the pack with 38.5% occupancy, followed closely by Jaipur at 36%, Chennai at 32.8%, and the Delhi-NCR belt registering a solid 28.5%.
About Welcome To The Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle revolves around a quirky group of people who get stuck in a dangerous jungle while trying to shoot a fake movie being made with a massive budget of Rs 2,000 crore. The film traces how they must navigate criminals and confusing situations to survive.
The mammoth ensemble cast features Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Sanjay Dutt, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, and Johnny Lever, among dozens of other prominent Bollywood actors. Backed by solid family footfalls, the comedy is expected to witness a further massive jump in collections over Saturday and Sunday.