Mumbai, June 27:Akshay Kumar's multi-starrer Welcome To The Jungle has made a strong start at the box office, collecting an estimated Rs 15 crore net in India on its opening day.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the action-comedy earned Rs 15 crore on Friday. Including the paid previews held on Thursday, the film's total India net collection has reached Rs 18.75 crore.
Globally, the third instalment of the Welcome franchise collected Rs 29 crore gross on its opening day, giving the film a promising start.
Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 26.46 per cent across 10,892 shows on Friday. Occupancy improved steadily throughout the day, rising from 11 per cent in the morning to 26.85 per cent in the afternoon, 28.85 per cent in the evening and peaking at 39.15 per cent during the night shows.
The film has outperformed Akshay Kumar's Bhooth Bangla, which had opened with Rs 12.25 crore on its first day earlier this year. However, Welcome To The Jungle is currently facing competition at the box office from Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga.
The Welcome franchise has enjoyed a successful run over the years. The original Welcome (2007) opened with Rs 3.35 crore and went on to collect Rs 119.5 crore worldwide, while Welcome Back (2015) started with Rs 14.4 crore and finished with a global collection of Rs 168.7 crore.
Meanwhile, actor Raveena Tandon expressed her delight over the positive response the film has been receiving. She said she has been getting congratulatory calls from people who watched the film and is happy that audiences are appreciating the performances of the entire cast. She added that it was a wonderful feeling to see the hard work of everyone involved in the comedy entertainer being recognised
