Welcome to the Jungle finally hit the theatres on Friday (June 26). Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film stars Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Disha Patani and 30 other actors
. The comedy entertainer received mixed reactions from audiences and critics after its release. Despite the mixed reviews, the film has started its box office journey on a decent note in both India and overseas markets.Welcome to the Jungle box office collection day-wiseAccording to early estimates by Sacnilk, Welcome to the Jungle collected an estimated Rs 15 crore net in India on its first day. The film was screened across 10,892 shows nationwide.The report states that the film has earned around Rs 22.5 crore gross in India, while its India net collection stands at Rs 18.75 crore so far. Internationally, the comedy entertainer added Rs 6.5 crore gross, taking its worldwide gross collection to Rs 29 crore on Day 1.132017575The film's occupancy also improved as the day progressed. Morning shows recorded an occupancy of 11%, which increased to 26.85% during the afternoon and further rose to 28.85% in the evening. The night shows were also expected to contribute to the overall collection.With its opening-day performance, Welcome to the Jungle has managed to surpass the first-day collections of Akshay Kumar's recent releases.His previous film, Bhooth Bangla, directed by Priyadarshan, had earned Rs 12.25 crore net in India on its opening day from 12,386 shows. Including premiere collections of Rs 3.75 crore, the film had opened with a total of Rs 16 crore. Before that, Jolly LLB 3 had collected Rs 12.5 crore on its first day. Going by the early estimates, Welcome to the Jungle has delivered a stronger opening than both films.More about Welcome to the JungleThe latest film also marks the third instalment in the popular Welcome franchise and brings together one of the biggest ensemble casts seen in a Bollywood comedy.Ahead of the film's release, director Ahmed Khan spoke about the challenge of handling such a large ensemble. In an interview with ANI, he said the appreciation from actors like Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal comes from the affection they have for him.132005955Khan admitted that directing a film with nearly 40 actors was far from easy. He explained that coordinating every performer, deciding who would deliver which dialogue and ensuring scenes flowed smoothly required careful planning and teamwork. According to the filmmaker, managing such a huge cast was one of the toughest parts of making Welcome to the Jungle.Besides Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal and Disha Patani, the film also features Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroze Khan (Arjun), late Pankaj Dheer, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry, Jeetu Verma, Vrihi Kodvara, Adityaa Singgh and Bhagya Bhanushali.Presented by A.A. Nadiadwala, Cape of Good Films and Star Studio18 in association with Seeta Films and Rakesh Dang, Welcome to the Jungle is now playing in theatres across the country. Stay tuned!