India, June 27 -- A ctor Akshay Kumar's return to the Welcome franchise appears to be off to a flying start. Welcome to the Jungle, the third instalment in the comedy series, opened on Friday to encouraging reactions from early audiences, with social media hailing it as a "laugh riot", "full paisa vasool" and a throwback to the loud, unabashed entertainers Bollywood once excelled at. Trade experts, too, are upbeat about the film's box office prospects, expecting a strong opening day and healthy weekend growth if the positive word of mouth continues. The ensemble comedy marks the franchise's return nearly a decade after Welcome Back (2015), bringing together a sprawling cast led by Akshay Kumar alongside 34 stars: Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Daler Mehndi. Much of the online chatter has centred on the film's humour, larger-than-life action and nostalgic nods to the kind of old-school Bollywood entertainers that once ruled the box office. Calling the Ahmed Khan directorial the "need of the hour", trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "It's like a 1980s masala film, a fun ride which caters to a huge audience. Bollywood has stopped making those kinds of films. There's a huge audience beyond the metros that loves mindless entertainers. You just go, don't question the logic, leave with a few laughs, feeling entertained." Trade analyst Atul Mohan believes the positive audience response is likely to keep the momentum going. "Abhi tak jo opening collection hai, aur isse upar hi jayega din khatm hote hote... because of word of mouth as audiences in theatres are enjoying the film," he says, adding, "It's a family entertainer, neat and clean, lots of humour and grandeur. Welcome to the Jungle is absolute value for money." Exhibitor Akkshay Rathie, too, believes the film has broad appeal. Calling it an "out-and-out commercial entertainer", he says, "The audience response has been very encouraging. This one looks promising."...