Kalki 2898 AD has solidified its place as a box office juggernaut, crossing the Rs 1000 crore mark worldwide on its 16th day in theaters.
Despite stiff competition from films like Indian 2 in South India and Sarfira in the North, this science-fiction mythological epic continues to dominate.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Kalki 2898 AD garnered Rs 5.2 crore in India on its 16th day, pushing its domestic lifetime collections to Rs 548 crore. The film is expected to surpass the Rs 550 crore milestone by Saturday and overtake Animal's lifetime domestic collections of Rs 553 crore by Sunday.
The film's success is notable given its high stakes and substantial budget of around Rs 600 crore, touted as India’s most expensive film to date.
Directed by Nag Ashwin, Kalki 2898 AD has found considerable success not only in the Telugu-speaking states, which was anticipated given the film’s star Prabhas, but also in the Hindi belt, which has contributed significantly to its box office haul.
Breaking down the collections, the Telugu version of Kalki 2898 AD has amassed Rs 255 crore, while the Hindi version has collected Rs 236 crore. On day 16, the Telugu version earned Rs 1.4 crore, whereas the Hindi version brought in over twice that amount. The Telugu version faced stiff competition from Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2, which earned Rs 26 crore on its opening day, with Rs 7.9 crore from its Telugu version.
Globally, the film surpassed the Rs 1000 crore mark on its third Friday, as confirmed by trade analyst Ramesh Bala.
This milestone places Kalki 2898 AD alongside other Indian films that achieved similar success last year, such as Jawan and Pathaan, both starring Shah Rukh Khan.
In addition to its impressive box office performance, Kalki 2898 AD features a star-studded cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Kamal Haasan. The film’s success has set the stage for a franchise, with a sequel already in development. Director Nag Ashwin has revealed that approximately 20 days of filming for the sequel have already been completed, although a release date has yet to be announced.