Despite competition from “Indian 2” in the South and “Sarfira” in the North, the blockbuster film “Kalki 2898 AD” continued its strong performance at the box office as it entered its third week of release. On its 16th day in theatres, the science-fiction mythological epic earned Rs 5.2 crore in India, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. This brings the film’s domestic lifetime collections to Rs 548 crore. By Saturday, the film is expected to cross the Rs 550 crore milestone, and by Sunday, it should surpass the lifetime domestic collections of “Animal,” which stand at Rs 553 crore.
Starring Prabhas, “Kalki 2898 AD” has proven to be both a critical and commercial success, marking a significant turnaround after over half a decade of disappointments. Since the release of “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” in 2017, Prabhas had starred in several big-budget flops, with only “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire” emerging as a hit. Much was riding on “Kalki 2898 AD,” touted as India’s most expensive film ever, with a budget of around Rs 600 crore. Directed by Nag Ashwin, the film has been popular in the Telugu-speaking states, Prabhas’ home turf, but has also achieved surprising success in the Hindi-speaking regions.
As of day 16, “Kalki 2898 AD” has earned Rs 255 crore from its Telugu version and Rs 236 crore from its Hindi version. On day 16 alone, the Telugu version made Rs 1.4 crore, while the Hindi version made over twice that amount. The Telugu version faced competition from the release of Kamal Haasan’s “Indian 2,” which earned Rs 26 crore on its opening day, with Rs 7.9 crore coming from its Telugu version. Globally, “Kalki 2898 AD” crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark on its third Friday, according to trade analyst Ramesh Bala. Last year, two Indian films surpassed this milestone: “Jawan” and “Pathaan,” both starring Shah Rukh Khan.
Also read: Kalki 2898 AD Box Office Collection: Becomes Highest Grossing Film of Amitabh Bachchan’s Career
“Kalki 2898 AD” also features Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Kamal Haasan. The film is expected to launch a franchise, with a sequel already in development. Director Nag Ashwin has mentioned in interviews that about 20 days of filming for the sequel have already been completed, although it currently doesn’t have a release date.