After shattering box office records in its opening weekend, the Indian blockbuster filmKalki 2898 ADcontinued a remarkable run through its first week of release. Such was the impact of the movie in its home country that the romantic dramaAuron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, starring the very popularAjay DevgnandTabu, was pushed from its planned release this week. Most theaters across India are playingKalki 2898 AD, and by the looks of it, the movie has found an audience overseas, as well.
On Wednesday, its sixth day of release — the film debuted on Thursday —Kalki 2898 ADhit the ₹700 crore mark globally, according to the studio Vyjayanthi Movies. Thisconverts to around $83 million. It’s already the top-grossing Indian movie of the year so far, and has now recovered itsall-time record reported budget of $75 million. Described as a dystopian science-fiction movie with elements of Hindu mythology weaved in,Kalki 2898 ADbroke the opening weekend record for Indian films,generating $66 million worldwideand finishing third globally behindInside Out 2andA Quiet Place: Day One.
Starring the superstarPrabhas,Kalki 2898 ADon Thursday will overtake the roughly $85 million lifetime global haul of his last release,Salaar: Part 1 — Ceasefire. Before these two films, the actor had been having quite a difficult time at the box office for around half-a-decade. Best known for starring inRRRdirectorS.S. Rajamouli’s two Baahubali films, Prabhas failed to cement his new-found stardom by deliveringa series of box office duds. Despite the under-performance of his Baahubali follow-ups, however,Prabhas is now responsible for three of the top five biggest global box office openings of all timefor Indian movies.
Directed byNag Ashwin,Kalki 2898 ADcan be described as a “pan-Indian” film, because it isgeared toward audiences across the culturally and linguistically diverse country. India has several local-language film industries that operate mostly independently of each other, save for when mega-budget projects such asKalki 2898 ADroll around.It isn’t a “Bollywood” movie, which is a term that applies only tofilms produced in the Hindi language.Kalki 2898 ADis a Telugu-language film— likeRRRand the Baahubali blockbusters — that has been dubbed for the convenience of audiences across the globe. Reviews for the film have been mostly positive; it sits at a “fresh” 80% score onRotten Tomatoes, with Collider’s Jeff Ewingcalling it"an engaging film with big ideas and strong character work" in his review.
It finished inside the top five in its first weekend at the domestic box office, grossing just under $11 million in its extended debut. In some days,Kalki 2898 ADwill overtake the lifetime domestic haul of the crossover hitRRR, which went on to win an Oscar after weeks of positive stateside buzz.Kalki 2898 ADwill next aim to surpass the $100 million-plus lifetime global hauls of last year’s trifecta of Indian hits,Jawan,Pathaan, andAnimal. Also starringAmitabh Bachchan,Deepika PadukoneandKamal Haasan,Kalki 2898 ADborrows heavily from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and is set in a dystopian future where the prophesied arrival of a messiah figure sets into motion an epic fight between good and evil. You can watch the film in theaters, and 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.
