'Kalki 2898 AD' Scores Third-Highest Opening For An Indian Film

Indian stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Prabhas on a poster of Nag Ashwin's new film, ... [+] 'Kalki 2898 AD'.

The much-awaited epic, Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD has made a record-breaking start at the ticket windows. According to the producers, Vyjayanthi Movies, the film made $23 million on the first day of its release - Thursday, June 27. The movie features Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone i n important roles.

In Indian markets, the Hindi version of the film made more than $3 million opening while the combined figure for all languages in India stood at nearly $11 million. Apart from Hindi, Kalki 2898 AD has released in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Nearly $7 million collections (out of the India gross of $11 million) came from telugu version of the film while the Tamil version scored slightly more than $3 million.

Apart from the lead actor Bachchan, Padukone, Prabhas, and Haasan, the new film also stars Vijay Deverakonda, Mrunal Thakur, Dulquer Salmaan, Anna Ben, and Brahmanandam in special roles.

Written by director Ashwin himself, Kalki 2898 AD takes inspiration from the Hindi mythological character Ashwatthama who needs to protect humanity some 6000 years after the legendary war of Mahabharat in India’s Kurukshetra.

Advance Bookings

The makers of Kalki 2898 AD had opened advance bookings for the film a few days ago and it managed to score big numbers. The Indian ticketing and entertainment platform BookMyShow alone registered a booking of 1.5 million tickets for the Bachchan-starrer. COO - Cinemas at BookMyShow Ashish Saksena says, "This tremendous response reflects the film’s widespread appeal and keen anticipation among diverse audiences. Audiences across the length and breadth of the country are demonstrating remarkable enthusiasm for all languages, with ticket sales for the Hindi version growing exponentially, and the Telugu version naturally leading the charts. Cities such as Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Tirupati show significant interest, followed closely by Warangal, Vijayawada, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Pune, highlighting the film’s extensive geographic reach.”

Saksena also highlights how single-screens contributed to figures: “Kalki 2898 AD has garnered spectacular interest from audiences opting to watch the mass entertainer at single-screen theatres, contributing to a massive 60% of ticket sales on BookMyShow so far. With the film’s extensive reach encompassing diverse audience segments, including both multiplexes and widespread single-screen presence, the potential it holds knows no bounds. Close to 45% cinephiles have opted for 3D and IMAX formats of the film, gunning for the immersive big screen experience.”

“The buzz surrounding this sci-fi spectacle with a gripping futuristic narrative is fueled by a stellar ensemble of actors. High production values and cutting-edge special effects have further amplified expectations, positioning it as a landmark in Indian cinema.”

Given the initial buzz for the film, producer and film business analyst Girsh Johar also expected the Kalki 2898 AD to open around $20-23 million at the global box office.

Critics and audiences alike have all praised the Hollywood-style dystopian sci-fi theme of Kalki 2898 AD. However, mixed reviews about the film suggests that the film lacks an emotional connect, unlike RRR or Bahubali. It falters in the department of the screenplay. Ashwin has managed to create a dystopian future using visuals that Indian audience has only seen in Hollywood films.