Akshay Kumar’s Welcome To The Jungle entered theatres with a noteworthy pre-release milestone, selling around 52,000 tickets in PVR Inox and Cinepolis for Thursday paid previews and Friday shows combined. That count places the comedy entertainer among the top five advances of 2026 in the national chains, giving the film a clear box office talking point as its first shows began.
Paid previews for the film started from 7:30 PM on Thursday, adding an early boost to its opening momentum. Out of the total 52,000 tickets sold, around 29,500 admissions came from preview shows, while nearly 22,500 tickets were booked for Friday.
Top Advance Booking In National Chains
The film’s advance has put it in the year’s top tier in terms of chain pre-sales, but the overall trend is still being viewed as softer than expected for a major franchise title mounted on a large scale. The Welcome brand carries strong recall value, and with Akshay Kumar leading an ensemble comedy, industry expectations were naturally higher going into release.
A comparison with Kumar’s previous release Bhooth Bangla sharpens that picture further. That film had sold around 73,000 tickets in the same national chains during the corresponding booking window, including roughly 40,000 tickets for previews alone. Against that benchmark, Welcome To The Jungle has opened on a lower note despite its established franchise identity.
Trade expectations currently point toward a paid preview collection in the range of Rs. 2.50 crore to Rs. 3.50 crore, followed by an opening day of around Rs. 13 crore to Rs. 16 crore on Friday. With the Muharram holiday in play, the film has a strong chance to push toward the higher end if spot bookings strengthen through the day.
Top Advance Booking In National Chains In 2026:
1. Dhurandhar The Revenge 9,25,000 tickets
2. Border 2: 1,45,000 tickets
3. Bhooth Bangla: 72,000 tickets
4. Cocktail 2: 70,000 tickets
5. Welcome To The Jungle: 52,000 tickets
6. Ikkis: 35,000 tickets
7. O Romeo: 33,500 tickets
8. Hai Jawani Hai To Ishq Hona Hai: 30,000 tickets
9. Chand Mera Dil: 27,000 tickets
10. Governor: 26,000 tickets* (50 Rs)
11. Main Vaapas Aaunga: 18,000 tickets
12. Bharat Bhagya Vidhata: 12,000 tickets
13. Mardaani 3: 15,000 tickets
14. Pati Patni Aur Woh 2: 13,500 tickets
15. Haunted 3D Echoes Of The Past: 5,500 tickets
16. Tu Yaa Main: 1,200 tickets
What This Means For The Film
The early sales show there is curiosity around Welcome To The Jungle, but the real test begins now with audience reception. A comedy franchise thrives on instant approval, and word-of-mouth will be crucial in deciding whether the film converts its top-five advance status into a strong weekend run.
The current booking trend also underlines how much theatrical comedies depend on promo perception. For a title backed by a familiar brand and a broad ensemble, the start is respectable, but the film now needs audience enthusiasm to build sharply after previews.
Akshay Kumar’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Akshay Kumar has remained one of Hindi cinema’s busiest stars, and Welcome To The Jungle arrives after Bhooth Bangla, another recent theatrical release that had opened with stronger national chain advances. This phase has kept him firmly in the theatrical mix, especially in crowd-friendly genres such as comedy and horror comedy.
With Welcome To The Jungle now out in cinemas, the actor is once again banking on mass appeal and franchise familiarity. The weekend will determine whether the film turns this promising top-five advance into the kind of sustained box office run that Akshay Kumar’s commercial entertainers are expected to deliver.
Stay updated with box office collections, box office collection worldwide, Bollywood box office collection, Hindi, Tamil, Hollywood box office collection.
