Advance bookings for Akshay Kumar’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ are slower than expected, but trade experts are confident that the franchise value and the holiday can give it a big opening.
Akshay Kumar’s much awaited comedy film ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ is going to be released in theaters on June 26. The advance booking figures of the film just before its release have caught the attention of the industry. The initial bookings have not been as brisk as expected, but trade experts believe that the popularity of the ‘Welcome’ franchise, Akshay Kumar’s return to comedy and the Muharram holiday may go in the film’s favour. This multi-starrer film directed by Ahmed Khan has received UA 16+ certificate from the Censor Board. Now everyone’s eyes are on whether the film will be able to make a good start at the box office or not.
How was the advance booking of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’?
Till a day before the release, advance booking of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ appeared to be a little slower than expected. According to reports, around 40,112 tickets were sold in 6253 shows for the Hindi version, earning around Rs 91.78 lakh. The average ticket price is said to be around Rs 232. When block seats are added, the advance booking figure reaches Rs 2.77 crore.
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Maximum response received from Mumbai and Delhi NCR
Delhi-NCR and Mumbai remained at the forefront in advance booking of the film. Ticket sales worth around Rs 18.35 lakh were recorded from the Delhi-NCR region, while business worth around Rs 11.6 lakh was recorded from Mumbai. Trade circles believe that spot booking can prove to be a big game changer for the film.
‘Welcome to the Jungle’ can reach 15 to 20 crores on the first day
Film trade analyst Atul Mohan believes that a good atmosphere has been created regarding the film. Speaking to Indian Express, he said, “There is a good buzz about the film and the advance bookings are also looking good. The advance bookings for the first day have reached above Rs 1 crore. The film will get the most benefit from spot bookings because Friday is the Muharram holiday. It is a bank holiday and can prove to be a big benefit for the film.”
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He further said, “If the film gets positive reviews, its opening could be between Rs 15 to 20 crores. The scale, trailer and music of the film look good. Akshay Kumar’s return to comedy and the memories of the franchise can draw the audience to the theatre.”
Komal Nahta expressed hope for a good opening
Trade analyst Komal Nahata believes that advance booking is neither very good nor very bad. Talking to Screen, he said, “Advance bookings are looking good. It is not something to get too excited about, but it cannot be said that the situation is bad. It is difficult to predict the box office without watching the film. The Welcome franchise is very popular among the audience, so it is expected to do well. The new trailer looked more effective than the first one as it had more focus on action.”
Hopes pinned on Akshay Kumar’s comedy comeback
Referring to Akshay Kumar’s recent success (horror comedy ‘Bhoot Bangla’), Komal Nahta said that the audience has once again accepted him in comic roles. According to him, “Audiences like Akshay Kumar more in comedy avatar. After the recent success, the enthusiasm about his comic films has increased again.”
Starcast of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’
Apart from Akshay Kumar, many big stars will be seen in the film, including Farida Jalal, Sunil Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandes, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Jackie Shroff, Urvashi Rautela, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Aftab Shivdasani, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Vindu Dara Singh and Mukesh Tiwari etc.