Will the big swing at the BO pay off?

Trade predicts Rs 70 cr opening for Kalki’s Telugu version, Rs 25 cr for Hindi; emphasises big-budget spectacle needs good content and strong numbers in other languages to recover cost

It’s finally here. Prabhas’ ambitious movie, Kalki 2898 AD, which has been much talked about since its announcement in 2020, hits the screens today. Given director Nag Ashwin’s dystopian sci-fi epic’s mammoth scale, people are already talking numbers and possible records. So, what do the advance bookings indicate? While trade analysts claim that Prabhas will add another Rs 100-crore opening worldwide to his list after Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), Saaho (2019), Adipurush (2023) and Salaar: Part 1—Ceasefire (2023), the buzz in the domestic market is mixed. One of the concerns is the Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone-starrer’s budget. Sources peg it at north of Rs 550 crore, making it among the most expensive Indian films. A trade source reveals, “Prabhas and Kamal Haasan have each charged Rs 100 crore, while Deepika took home Rs 32 crore.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan says that on home turf, the Telugu version has started off on a strong note. “The day-one bookings of Telugu version are almost sold out. It could earn over Rs 70 crore. The Hindi version’s sales are picking up, but on the opening day, it needs to do equally well in the other languages, to emerge a winner by the weekend,” he says. Mohan adds that though initially slow, the buzz around Kalki 2898 AD picked up after the release of the second trailer and the on-ground events. “The [first] trailer didn’t create much hype. [Another deterrent] is that it’s releasing on a non-holiday. A big opening was necessary for Kalki, and Prabhas has ensured that. 

After this, the content will determine the collections.” “Phenomenal” is how trade analyst Taran Adarsh describes the advance bookings. But at the same time, he cautions that the prospective sales in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam are not encouraging. “The Hindi version has picked up, but other languages can do better. I feel Kalki will also have strong spot bookings, like RRR [2022] did. In Hindi, I’m expecting Rs 20-25 crore on day one.” Adarsh adds that the figures have been good in tier-2 and -3 cities. Exhibitor Raj Bansal notes that the Hindi version could surpass Fighter’s day-one opening. “It could be this year’s biggest opener.”

An aspect that the trade unanimously agrees on is that the sci-fi action fare has exceeded expectations overseas. Mohan highlights, “It became the first Indian film to cross $3 million première pre-sales in North America; it has earned over R25 crore in advance bookings.” Bansal credits it to Prabhas’ popularity. “After Shah Rukh Khan, he has the biggest fan-following in the US.” The all-important question is: Will the visual extravaganza be able to recover costs? Bansal says, “It all depends on the content. A few of Prabhas’ movies didn’t perform well. Any actor coming after [flops] can have tricky box-office collections. If Kalki’s content is good, the numbers can grow by leaps and bounds.” 

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