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Star cast: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Saswata Chatterjee, Disha Patani & others
Director: Nag Ashwin
Producers: C.Aswini Dutt
Kalki 2898 AD Box Office Review (Hindi): Pre-Release Buzz & Expectations
Is Prabhas among the best actors currently present in Indian cinema? Well, that’s a highly debatable and even highly polarising question to deal with. However, one thing that couldn’t be denied is the fact that he’s the biggest crowd-puller we have right now. You might like or don’t like him, but he always ensures that a film with which he’s associated will get maximum attention. With his previous release, Salaar, being successful with over 600 crores gross collection globally, his latest release was expected to enjoy massive hype.
His latest magnum opus, Kalki 2898 AD, was announced with Prabhas back in 2020, and since then, it has started building excitement around fans. Usually, the Darling star is known for his larger-than-life massy films, so his collaboration with director Nag Ashwin, known for his National Award-winning Mahanati, looked unique and fresh. Afterward, there were talks about the crazy budget, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan joining the cast, which just raised the excitement level.
Promotions looked underwhelming as it felt that the makers had failed to create an atmosphere, which is a must for an event film. Even the film lacks the chartbuster album, which looked like another negative for such a big release. It was the release trailer that created some sort of impact among the audience.
Just like every other Prabhas film, even Kalki 2898 AD shocked everyone with its undercurrent when the advance booking started across the nation. The actor is lucky enough to be blessed by die-hard loyal fans, who always turn the tables in favor despite not-so-good promotional material. In the case of the latest sci-fi saga, the response was much higher than the actor’s previous releases.
Crazy response in advance booking helped the film in building a positive perception and buzz among people, thus attracting more footfalls. So, it looked like a thunderous blockbuster for the Baahubali star, at least for the first few days.
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Kalki 2898 AD Box Office Review (Hindi): Initial Start, Positives & Negatives
Kalki 2898 AD registered the fourth-highest day 1 advance booking of all time for an Indian film at the Indian box office. It pretty much tells the story that the film has taken blasting start all across the nation. Yes, the response is earth-shattering in the Telugu states as compared to other regions, which was always expected. The surprise is coming in from the Hindi belt, where it felt like the film had a low buzz, but in reality, the biggie has opened really well. The barriers of mass and class audiences have been broken as the response is equally good in premium multiplexes as well as in the small centers. With such a reception, the opening day of 100 crores net looks very much possible. Specifically, the Hindi version looks to be in a position to cross 20 crores net easily.
Speaking of positives, Kalki 2898 AD has been granted special shows and a price hike in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the first few days. This will make a big difference in the film’s overall box office performance. Other than that, the Nag Ashwin directorial has been receiving mostly favorable reactions from the ticket-buying audience. It somewhat ensures that this biggie won’t go downhill during the weekdays when the normal ticket rates with no special shows would be in place. This is also good for the Hindi version, as positive word-of-mouth often works in favor of the dubbed films in the Hindi belt in the long run. Then there’s Mahabharata connect, which might work well in the Hindi heartland. Also, there’s a spectacular performance of Amitabh Bachchan, something which will attract the Hindi audience.
In terms of competition, Kalki 2898 AD will face its first big competition in the form of Ajay Devgn’s Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha (5th July) and then Akshay Kumar’s Sarfira (12th July). However, both these films are bit niche and are content-driven outings. So, both these films and the Prabhas starrer can co-exist in theatres.
Now, coming to the negatives, the film is a bit lengthy, and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s high on VFX and mind-blowing action sequences, so for some, it might come off as a film with higher production value and little substance. So, the repeat value is expected to be affected, thus cutting off that extra box office value. The film isn’t a fully commercial entertainer and even lacks a powerful album, so it’s a bit hard to predict if the biggie will sustain for longer in the mass centers. In the case of Salaar, the film got support from the mass centers, which helped it in reaching a good total.
Kalki 2898 AD Box Office Review (Hindi): Final Verdict
On the whole, Kalki 2898 AD has a share of both positives and negatives, but the good thing is that positives are overpowering the downers. The craving to watch a visually stunning film, a brave attempt to create something unique, and a show-stealing performance by Amitabh Bachchan will help the film put on a solid show at the Indian box office.
The magnum opus is expected to earn 180-200 crores at the Indian box office with its Hindi version. With a little push, it even has a chance of crossing Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter (215 crores) and becoming the highest Hindi net grosser of 2024 so far.
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office stories & updates!
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