Kalki 2898 AD is definitely one of the priciest and most eagerly awaited movies of 2024. Industry experts are sharing their thoughts on what will ensure its success.
Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD, featuring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone, is undeniably one of the most eagerly awaited movies of the year. Blending Hindu mythology with science fiction, the film follows a modern incarnation of Lord Vishnu who has come to Earth to safeguard the world from evil forces. Despite some controversies around plagiarism, the excitement for Kalki 2898 AD remains high.
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Kalki 2898 AD
The magnum opus continues to shine with its star-studded cast, stunning visual effects, and the captivating background score by Santhosh Narayanan. Within just 24 hours, it has already sold over 2.1 lakh tickets, earning a revenue of Rs 6.25 crore. In North America alone, it managed to sell over 1,13,000 tickets and collected an impressive USD 3 million on its first day. What’s even more fascinating is that it has already made a whopping Rs 375 crore from selling its rights to various OTT platforms, even before its theatrical release.
Exciting times are ahead as Kalki 2898 AD is set to hit the screens tomorrow! News18 Showsha got the inside scoop from trade experts, who are already predicting big things for the film. Producer Girish Johar is confident about its success, calling the expectations ‘huge’. He also praises the casting choices made by Ashwin, highlighting the grand scale and size of the project, making it a standout in the film industry.
He mentions that looking at the pre-bookings, it seems like the first day numbers will be massive. Prabhas has a strong fan base internationally, where his movies perform well. Although the first trailer didn’t impress in the Hindi region, the second trailer has generated a lot of anticipation. Overall, he is very confident that the movie will have a fantastic start, expecting to gross Rs 100 crore on the first day across all languages.
Prabhas Eyes Rs 100 Cr Opening,
Prabhas’ Salaar had a remarkable start in 2023, with a reported collection of Rs 95 crore in India and a global opening day collection of Rs 178.7 crore.
The official trailer of Kalki 2898 AD was unveiled on June 10, with a second trailer following on June 21. Ramesh Bala, a trade expert based in Chennai, shares the sentiment with Johar that it was the second trailer that really made an impact. He is optimistic about the film’s potential to set a new standard for Telugu cinema this year, saying, “Prabhas’ movies are always major events, and Kalki is no different. With no major releases in Telugu this year, this could be the first big hit, followed by Pushpa 2.”.
So, what does he think the day one numbers will be? “The excitement is high, especially in the South. It has also gained popularity in the Hindi region. I predict it will make around Rs 100 crore nett, with the majority of it coming from the Telugu region, followed by Rs 20-25 crore from the Hindi version. So, the opening day should bring in around Rs 130 crore gross in India,” Bala comments.
Atul Mohan, another expert in the trade, also has high hopes for Kalki 2898 AD. He believes that the film will have an incredible opening, especially in the South. In fact, tickets for the first day have already sold out in Telugu-speaking states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Atul Mohan predicts that the film will earn over Rs 70 crore in South India alone. What’s even more surprising is that the buzz and advance booking for Kalki are also dramatic in North India.
Will It Beat Salaar 1 Day Collection?
Just a few days ago, there was little buzz, but in the past four days, the film has garnered a lot of attention and bookings. Even smaller towns in UP and Bihar are requesting the film to be shown in theaters, and the advance booking numbers are very promising.
Bala acknowledges that even though he made predictions, it might be challenging to recover the budget of Rs 600 crore. He believes that a swift budget recovery will be difficult, but it is possible in the long term as long as the word of mouth is good. However, a major unexpected reveal could pose a challenge. Bala is optimistic that with positive reviews, the budget can be recovered over time.
So, what else is working in favor of Kalki 2898 AD besides what was mentioned earlier? “The overall presentation is fantastic – with Bachchan sir and Deepika from Bollywood, Kamal Haasan from Tamil cinema, and Prabhas from Tollywood. Kalki is a truly pan-Indian film. It brings together artists from all industries. If we look closely, they have targeted every prominent personality from each industry. It’s a very clever and innovative strategy by the makers,” Mohan highlights, also mentioning that it has some of the most impressive VFX in recent years.