'Welcome to the Jungle' box office collection day 1: Akshay Kumar-led comic caper nears ₹20 crore in India, may get a boost on weekend

The Akshay Kumar-led comic caper Welcome to the Jungle, or Welcome 3, has opened to decent numbers at the ticket counters. The film hit screens riding a wave of franchise nostalgia, with fans of the original Welcome eager to relive those magic moments.

Critics, however, couldn't quite agree. Reviews ranged from warm praise for its brainrot humour and grand scale to sharp criticism over a bloated cast and a logic-free screenplay. Audiences, though, seem to be voting with their wallets — and right now, the jungle is winning.

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Welcome to the Jungle box office collection

The comic caper made a total of ₹3.75 crore from its paid preview shows and ₹15 crore on its opening day. With this, the film's total India net box office collection stands at ₹18.75 crore and gross collections stand at ₹22.50 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. The film has grossed ₹6.50 crore overseas, taking its worldwide collection to ₹29 crore.

At this rate, the film is likely to see a further boost in its collections over the weekend. 

Where did Welcome to the Jungle earn the most?

Welcome 3 saw an overall 26.46% theatrical occupancy across its shows on Friday, with its night shows logging the highest occupancy at 39.15%. The regions that contributed a lion's share to the film's box office collection are Lucknow (38.5%), Jaipur (36%), Chennai (32.8%), NCR (28.5%), Mumbai (28%), and Chandigarh (27%). 

Welcome to the Jungle earnings to be donated

Meanwhile, the Welcome franchise producer said that a certain amount from the revenues of Welcome to the Jungle and all his future movies will be donated for the welfare of the widows of Indian armed forces personnel. "The proceeds will go to the Indian Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) and all similar organisations working towards supporting all noble causes which impact and uplift the lives of all socially backward and underprivileged people, especially poor women and orphaned girls."

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Welcome to the Jungle story, cast

Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film focuses on a group of quirky people stuck in a dangerous jungle while shooting a 'fake' movie being made at a budget of ₹2,000 crore. It then proceeds to show how they must work together to survive and find their way out of the jungle amid confusion, criminals and hilarious situations. 

Besides Akshay Kumar, the film stars Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, 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, Late Pankaj Dheer, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry, Jeetu Verma, Vrihi Kodvara, Adityaa Singgh and Bhagya Bhanushali.