In 9 days, "Welcome to the Jungle" (also "Welcome 3") has enjoyed a strong start at the box office, hitting Rs 100 crore net in India (an estimated Rs 105.15 crore) and Rs 155.14 crore milestone worldwide, as per estimates compiled by box office portal Sacnilk. The film has already exceeded expectations and marks a major comeback for both the "Welcome" franchise and have effectively ended Akshay Kumar's dry spell at the box office, irrespective of online reviews. The general audience, who yearns for a jolly, leave-your-brain-at-the-door time, seems to have warmed up to the movie.
The movie has already become the highest-grossing film in the "Welcome" series in terms of Indian box office collections. It has also surpassed the worldwide lifetime earnings of the original "Welcome" (2007), which earned Rs 70.15 crore net in India and Rs 117.91 crore worldwide during its theatrical run. The sequel, "Welcome Back" (2015), finished with Rs 96.69 crore net in India and Rs 167.37 crore worldwide. "Welcome to the Jungle" is expected to overtake the second film's worldwide total during its second weekend.
And as mentioned earlier, the film also continues Akshay Kumar's impressive return to form. After several years of mixed box office performances, the actor has delivered a string of successful releases. To start with, there was "Jolly LLB 3" (2025) which became a major blockbuster, followed by "Bhooth Bangla" (2026), which earned over Rs 245 crore worldwide earlier this year. "Welcome to the Jungle" is following a similarly strong pace, showing that audiences are once again embracing Akshay Kumar in comedy and nostalgia-driven franchise films.
However, the film still has a long way to go before matching the biggest success in the Hindi ensemble comedy space. "Housefull 4" (2019) remains the benchmark, collecting Rs 210.30 crore net in India and Rs 298 crore worldwide, making it Akshay Kumar's highest-grossing comedy. "Housefull 5" (2025) also enjoyed a respectable theatrical run and finished among the actor's top ten highest grossers.
At the moment, "Welcome to the Jungle" is maintaining the kind of box office momentum comparable to that of "Housefull 5". If it continues to attract audiences through the coming weekdays and second weekend, it could move closer to the impressive lifetime collections of "Housefull 4". Regardless of where it finishes, the film has already established itself as a major commercial success and breathed new life into the "Welcome" franchise.
