Akshay Kumar fans are eagerly awaiting the actor’s next outing, Welcome To The Jungle. The film boasts an ensemble cast packed with A-list stars, with Akshay headlining the franchise. According to a recent report, the film has already recovered a significant portion of its investment ahead of release, thanks to the sale of its ancillary rights. The makers have reportedly secured substantial revenue through OTT, satellite, and audio rights, making the project financially secure even before its theatrical release.
Producers make ₹120 cr deal
According to a report in Free Press Journal, the makers have reportedly earned around ₹120 crore through the sale of the film’s OTT, satellite, audio, and other ancillary rights. A trade source informed the publication, “As of now, the makers are rumoured to have finalised a deal of around 120 crores from OTT, audio, satellite, etc. They will therefore have to recover a lot less from theatrical income. Welcome is a big franchise. The earlier two films, Welcome (2007) and Welcome Back (2015) have great recall. So, the third part of the franchise is also carrying buzz. Since the secondary rights have already yielded safe numbers, the makers can breathe easy for now.”
The report further states that the strong value of the Welcome brand has played a major role in helping the producers secure lucrative pre-release deals. With the film already generating buzz among audiences, industry insiders remain optimistic about its theatrical prospects as well.
Akshay reduces fee to ₹1.8 crore
The report also claims that Akshay Kumar has charged only ₹1.8 crore as his upfront remuneration for the film. However, it adds that the actor has included a profit-sharing clause in his agreement, reflecting his confidence in the film’s commercial potential.
According to the report, Akshay is expected to receive 72 per cent of the film’s Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) earnings, while the producer will retain the remaining 28 per cent. This structure allows the actor to benefit significantly if the film performs well across various revenue streams.
Ranveer Singh had a similar deal for Dhurandhar
Akshay is not the only Bollywood star known to adopt such a model. Several top actors, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan, have often chosen to take a lower upfront fee in exchange for a share in a film’s profits. This arrangement reduces the financial burden on producers while allowing actors to earn substantially if the project succeeds.
For instance, Dhurandhar producer Jyoti Deshpande recently revealed that both actor Ranveer Singh and director Aditya Dhar opted for a reduced fixed fee and entered into backend profit-sharing agreements. The arrangement reportedly worked well for all parties involved due to the strong performance of the films associated with the franchise.
“In Dhurandhar, Ranveer came with a smaller fixed fee and a backend deal, and therefore benefited from that arrangement. The same was true for Aditya, who also came in with a smaller fixed fee and a backend. He ended up making a significant upside along with us. That’s how you distribute both the risk and the reward,” Jyoti told ET Digital.
About Welcome To The Jungle
Welcome To The Jungle is the third installment in the Welcome franchise. Apart from Akshay Kumar, the film features an extensive ensemble cast including Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Aftab Shivdasani, Jackie Shroff, Daler Mehndi, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Urvashi Rautela, Farida Jalal, Krushna Abhishek, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Vindu Dara Singh, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, late Pankaj Dheer, Puneet Issar, Kiku Sharda, Feroze Khan (Arjun), Sudesh Berry, and Vrihi Kodvara.
Directed by Ahmed Khan, the comedy entertainer is slated to release in theatres on June 26.