The sci-fi epic ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, directed by Nag Ashwin and starring a star-studded cast including Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan, has taken the box office by storm. The film, which released on June 27, has garnered an impressive ₹220 crore across all languages in India within its first three days, according to Sacnilk. The film opened strong with a ₹95.3 crore haul on its first day. Despite a dip to ₹57.6 crore on June 28, the film saw a resurgence on Saturday, collecting ₹67.1 crore and bringing the domestic total to ₹220 crore. ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ also performed well internationally, amassing ₹298.5 crore within two days. The industry is keenly watching to see if the upward trend continues on Sunday.
The film was released in multiple languages, including Hindi and all major South Indian languages, in both 2D and 3D formats. At a press conference, Kamal Haasan expressed his enthusiasm for the film, stating, “We have been seeing many signifiers that Indian cinema is moving towards global entertainment, and Kalki 2898 AD is one among them. Nag Ashwin carefully handled the subject of mythology without any religious bias. Across the world, only Japan, China, and Greek civilisations can come close to the Indian heritage of storytelling. Ashwin has chosen stories from that and executed it with much patience by bringing everyone together,” as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The film’s success is evident from the social media buzz surrounding it. Actor Rashmika Mandanna, taking to her X account, expressed her admiration for the film: “OH MY FREAKING GOD! @nagashwin7 you are a beautiful GENIUS! INCREDIBLE!! Congratulations Kalki❤️ This film deserves all the love and more. 🙏🏻 Watching our mythical gods come alive on our screens is my favourite part of it.. 🔥❤️✨ God!! What a film!!!!🔥❤️🙆🏻♀️”
‘Kalki 2898 AD’ is set 6000 years after the Kurukshetra war depicted in the Mahabharata. Prabhas stars as Bhairava, with Deepika Padukone as SUM-80, Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama, and Kamal Haasan as Supreme Yaskin. The film also features Disha Patani as Roxie and includes cameos by Vijay Deverakonda, Mrunal Thakur, Dulquer Salmaan, and Faria Abdullah, among others. Pre-release promotions included a significant event in Mumbai and the unveiling of a custom vehicle named Bujji in Hyderabad.
