'Kalki 2898 AD' Breaks 'RRR's Domestic Box Office Record (2024)

After months of build-up, the epic Indian tent-pole Kalki 2898 AD was released this week to blockbuster box office response in theaters worldwide. Billed as a science-fiction spectacle with elements of Hindu mythology, Kalkidelivered the third-biggest global box office debut in Indian cinema history, in addition to delivering the best stateside debut for an Indian movie ever. With a $5.5 million opening day haul that also includes preview figures, Kalki overtook the $5.4 million opening day gross of RRR, which is arguably India's biggest crossover hit. Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, RRR went on to generate nearly $15 million domestically, and around $170 million worldwide in 2022.

The film's $26 million global opening day gross remains unchallenged, with Kalki 2898 AD reporting a day one worldwide haul of ₹191 crore, which converts to around $23 million. Interestingly, Kalki star Prabhasis now responsible for three of the top five biggest opening day hauls in the history of Indian cinema. He also led the number two film on this list, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which generated $25 million in 2017, and last year starred in Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire, which generated around $21 million on day one. Two other Prabhas-starrers - Adipurush and Saaho - occupy spots further down the top 10 list.

Kalki's box office performance marks not only a much-needed return to form for the struggling Indian box office, but also for Prabhas himself. After the global success of Baahubali 2, the star appeared in a string of big-budget bombs, with Salaar ending the sorry streak last year. Kalki was an acid test for him, and while it's still early days, the movie is clearly off to an encouraging start. But there's still a long way to go; Kalki has been billed as the most expensive Indian film production of all time, with a reported budget of around $75 million. The movie combines dystopian science-fiction tropes about social inequality and dictatorship with themes and characters from the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

'Kalki 2898 AD' Is Eying Over $10 Million In Its First Weekend Domestically

Reviews for the film have been mixed. Kalki 2898 AD sits at a "fresh" 64% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Prabhas plays a bounty hunter named Bhairava, who operates in a post-apocalyptic world with his AI companion, Bujji. He is tasked with apprehending a woman named Sumathi, played by Deepika Padukone. Sumathi is said to be pregnant with a messiah whose arrival had long been prophesied, and is being protected by the Immortal Ashwatthama, a character straight out of the Mahabharata, played by Indian acting icon Amitabh Bachchan.

Kalki is being screened in multiple Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and English. India has several film industries that operate independently of each other, although occasionally, talent actors and filmmakers from across the diverse country come together to create what is popularly known as a "pan-Indian film." Kalki is one of them, a movie designed to play in every corner of the country, and also abroad. Directed by Nag Ashwin, the movie is expected to start a franchise, and also stars Kamal Haasan, Disha Patani, Keerthy Suresh, and features cameos by major stars such as Dulquer Salmaan and Vijay Deverakonda. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Kalki 2898 AD

In a dystopian future, society is on the brink of collapse, ruled by corrupt powers exploiting technology and religion. A mysterious figure emerges, believed by some to be the prophesized warrior destined to overthrow the tyrants and restore balance. As he gathers followers, his quest becomes a symbol of hope for the oppressed, challenging the very fabric of the corrupt regime.

Release Date

June 27, 2024

Director

Nag Ashwin

Cast

Prabhas , Amitabh Bachchan , Kamal Haasan , Deepika Padukone , Disha Patani , Anna Ben , Dulquer Salmaan , Pasupathy