Welcome to the Jungle release date countdown IST
Welcome to
the Jungle
Release Date Countdown IST 2026 — Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Cast, OTT, Story & All Details
What is Welcome to the Jungle?
Welcome to the Jungle is the third instalment of one of Bollywood’s most beloved comedy franchises — the Welcome series created by producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala. The original Welcome (2007) and Welcome Back (2015) were massive commercial hits known for their slapstick comedy, larger-than-life gangster characters, and an ensemble cast that audiences adored. Welcome 3 brings back the core franchise spirit with an even bigger, wilder cast and a jungle setting that promises an entirely new adventure.
Directed by Ahmed Khan — known for the Baaghi franchise with Tiger Shroff — the film stars Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty in the lead roles alongside a 20+ member ensemble that includes Sanjay Dutt, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Johny Lever, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh and many more. The story follows police officers Jay Bakshi (Akshay Kumar) and Sandhya (Disha Patani) tracking a notorious criminal, with unexpected twists as diverse characters find themselves stranded in a jungle.
Welcome to the Jungle is Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty’s 14th film together — a reunion that spans from Waqt Hamara Hai (1993) through Hera Pheri (2000), Phir Hera Pheri (2006) and De Dana Dan (2009). The franchise’s trademark combination of comedy gangsters, absurd situations and a massive star-studded cast has always been a guaranteed crowd-puller. Add Ahmed Khan’s action-comedy expertise and Jio Studios’ full backing — including confirmed OTT rights on JioHotstar — and this is shaping up to be one of 2026’s biggest commercial entertainers.
Welcome to the Jungle — Full Star Cast 2026
JioStar has acquired Welcome to the Jungle’s domestic theatrical distribution, satellite and OTT rights — confirmed by Bollywood Hungama in April 2026. This means the film will stream on JioHotstar after its theatrical run. Overseas theatrical rights are being handled by Pen Marudhar. The film will reach audiences in the UAE, UK, North America and other key diaspora markets internationally.
Welcome to the Jungle — All Confirmed Details
| Detail | Info | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date — India | June 26, 2026 (theatrical) | Confirmed |
| OTT Platform | JioHotstar (after theatrical run) | Confirmed |
| Satellite Rights | Star TV channels (JioStar) | Confirmed |
| Overseas Distribution | Pen Marudhar (in advanced talks) | Reported |
| Director | Ahmed Khan (Baaghi franchise) | Confirmed |
| Music | Meet Bros | Confirmed |
| OTT Release Date | Not announced — typically 8 weeks post theatrical | TBA |
| Budget | Not officially announced | TBA |
Welcome to the Jungle — Plot & Story Details
Welcome to the Jungle follows police officers Jay Bakshi (Akshay Kumar) and Sandhya (Disha Patani) who are assigned to track down a notorious criminal named Raj Solanki. Things take an unexpected and chaotic turn when Jay discovers that Raj plays a significant personal role in his own life — blurring the lines between duty and family. The chase leads the characters deep into a jungle, where a colourful and chaotic ensemble of characters find themselves stranded together in the wild.
True to the Welcome franchise’s DNA, the film blends crime, comedy and action — with the jungle setting adding an entirely new dimension of chaos. With over 20 stars crammed into one story, viewers can expect the classic Welcome-style madness: misunderstandings, slapstick chaos, musical interludes and the trademark warmth that made the first two films so beloved.
Welcome (2007) introduced the iconic duo of Uday and Majnu Bhai — the lovable criminal brothers played by Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor — and their chaotic attempts to get their sister married. Welcome Back (2015) continued their misadventures with a new set of complications. Welcome to the Jungle (2026) takes the franchise to a new location with a mostly new cast — but retains Paresh Rawal as Dr. Ghungroo, keeping the franchise continuity alive.
Welcome to the Jungle — All News & Updates 2025–2026
Frequently Asked Questions — Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle is confirmed to release on June 26, 2026 in India. The live countdown timer at the top of this page shows exactly how many days, hours, minutes and seconds remain until the theatrical release in Indian Standard Time (IST). The film releases nationwide in Hindi.
Welcome to the Jungle features one of the biggest ensemble casts in recent Bollywood history — Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Sanjay Dutt, Jacqueline Fernandez, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh and many more. It is Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty’s 14th film together.
Welcome to the Jungle will stream on JioHotstar after its theatrical run — confirmed by Bollywood Hungama in April 2026. JioStar has acquired the film’s complete India rights including domestic theatrical distribution, Star TV satellite rights, and JioHotstar OTT streaming rights. The exact OTT release date has not been announced yet — typically such films arrive on OTT 6–8 weeks after the theatrical release, which would put it around August 2026.
Yes — Welcome to the Jungle is the third film in the Welcome franchise. The first film, Welcome, released on December 21, 2007 starring Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. The sequel, Welcome Back, released on September 4, 2015. Welcome to the Jungle is the third instalment — arriving after an 11-year gap since Welcome Back — with a new director (Ahmed Khan) and a largely new cast, though Paresh Rawal returns as Dr. Ghungroo.
Welcome to the Jungle is directed by Ahmed Khan, best known for directing the Baaghi franchise — Baaghi 2 (2018), Baaghi 3 (2020) — with Tiger Shroff. Ahmed Khan is known for his skill in action-comedy entertainers with large-scale set pieces. The film is produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwala, who has produced all three Welcome films, under the Jio Studios banner.
Welcome to the Jungle follows two police officers — Jay Bakshi (Akshay Kumar) and Sandhya (Disha Patani) — tasked with tracking down a notorious criminal named Raj Solanki. An unexpected twist occurs when Jay discovers Raj plays a significant role in his personal life. The ensuing chaos lands a large ensemble of characters stranded in a jungle — leading to the brand of madcap comedy the Welcome franchise is famous for.
The live countdown timer at the very top of this page shows you exactly how many days, hours, minutes and seconds remain until Welcome to the Jungle’s theatrical release on June 26, 2026 in Indian Standard Time (IST). The countdown updates every second in real time.