Can a comedy movie be a Record breaking smash? Can Akshay Kumar who has been struggling for a big hit for a long time make a roaring comeback with Welcome to the Jungle?
These are the questions as Bollywood gears up for one of its biggest comedy films.
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The Welcome franchise has always been a crowd pleaser but this time the makers are promising something bigger, funnier and grander than ever before.
With an ensemble star cast, a holiday release and Akshay Kumar back, the expectations are sky high. But will it live up to the hype and become Akshay’s biggest film ever?
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The Welcome franchise has already seen two successful films. The first Welcome in 2007 was a cult classic, won the hearts of the audience with its humour and characters.
It was a blockbuster, collected ₹70.25 crore net in India, a big number for that time. The sequel Welcome Back in 2015 earned ₹96 crore, a higher number but with lesser impact.
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Akshay Kumar was missing and though the film did well, it didn’t have the same charm as the original.
Now Welcome to the Jungle has a golden chance not only to surpass these films but also write the history of comedy films in Bollywood.
It’s not just aiming to be another hit; it’s being marketed as Bollywood’s biggest comedy ever.
But for that it has to cross ₹200 crore and ideally ₹250-300 crore to be considered a game-changer.
Akshay Kumar has had a illustrious career with many hits but only a handful have gone on to create box office history. His highest grossing film to date is 2.0 which collected ₹407.05 crore net in India.
But that film was driven by Rajinikanth’s presence, so it’s more of a Tamil industry behemoth than an Akshay Kumar solo record breaker.
Among his solo hits, Housefull 4 leads with ₹210.3 crore, followed by Good Newwz and Mission Mangal both crossing ₹200 crore.
For Welcome to the Jungle to be his true career defining hit, it has to outdo these numbers.
Unlike his past blockbusters which were a mix of action, sci-fi and real life drama, this film is pure comedy—an unpredictable genre when it comes to box office supremacy.
But the formula of massive ensemble cast, holiday release and franchise nostalgia can work if executed well.
A few things can go in favour of Welcome to the Jungle. Akshay Kumar being back in the franchise is a big plus as fans missed him in the second film.
The star cast featuring Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Arshad Warsi and Paresh Rawal makes it Bollywood’s biggest comedy ensemble.
Christmas release gives it a long window to build up at the box office. Comedy has repeat value – if it works, people will go back to watch it multiple times and the numbers will grow.
But the film is not without risks. Anees Bazmee who made the first two parts is not directing this one, Ahmed Khan is.
Khan made a blockbuster with Baaghi 2, his only attempt at comedy was Fool N Final which was a disaster. So we wonder if he can really recreate the magic of Welcome.
Another big risk is absence of Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor, two of the most loved characters of the franchise. Their comic timing was a major reason for Welcome’s success and their absence might affect the audience’s reception.
With its grand scale, franchise legacy and star studded cast Welcome to the Jungle has the potential to be Akshay’s biggest film ever.
If the comedy works and gets good word of mouth it can easily cross ₹200 cr and may even aim for ₹300 cr.
But execution is key. If the humor doesn’t work or the nostalgia factor doesn’t work as expected the film may struggle despite the hype.
Welcome to the Jungle has all the ingredients of a success. Whether it becomes a record breaking phenomenon or just another comedy in the long list of Bollywood comedy films will depend on how it connects with the audience.
Will this be the film that finally gives Akshay his undisputed highest grossing solo film? The stage is set but only time will tell.
