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.”