Theatre owners' wait for a big release ends with Prabhas-starrer Kalki

Prabhas and Deepika Padukone-starrer Kalki 2898 AD, also featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, will hit the screens on Thursday. Originally in Telugu, it is releasing in Hindi as well, apart from the other three south Indian languages, and builds on the southern film template of action and spectacle, while boasting a pan-India star cast. The Telugu and Tamil movie industries that haven’t seen a film break out in the Hindi-speaking belt since 2022 are hoping for things to change with Kalki, expecting it to replicate the success of blockbusters like Baahubali, RRR and KGF.

Trade experts predict opening-day collections of the dubbed Hindi version alone to touch ₹25 crore, while all languages put together could bring in ₹100 crore across the country.

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“The anticipation for Kalki is particularly high, given the prolonged absence of major releases in Indian cinema since the start of the year. Advance bookings are soaring, with record-breaking pre-sales indicating robust audience interest. Major markets, including metropolitan areas and tier-2 cities, are leading the charge in terms of pre-bookings, reflecting a widespread eagerness to experience the movie on the big screen," Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinepolis India, said. Based on current trends and pre-release interest, Sampat said estimates for the opening-day and week are highly optimistic and Cinepolis expects to garner its best ticket sales for the year, driven by strong marketing efforts, a dedicated fan base for the actors, and positive early reviews. The film’s broad appeal is a key factor in this potential success, he added. The diverse star cast, which includes popular actors from various regions, is likely to attract audiences from all over the country.

Made at a mammoth budget of around ₹600 crore, the theatrical box-office performance of Kalki will be crucial to the film's financial recovery, likely contributing more than 60% of the total revenue, trade experts estimate. While challenges could arise from the fact that lead actor Prabhas’ past few releases - Salaar, Adipurush and Radhe Shyam - have underperformed and director Nag Ashwin doesn’t command the kind of draw that names like SS Rajamouli do in the Hindi heartland, the ensemble cast and high production values are expected to compensate for those seeming drawbacks.

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Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow, agreed. The Telugu version has been leading the charts on the platform in terms of ticket sales. Further, close to 40% cinephiles have opted for the 3D format of the film, opting for the immersive big-screen experience. “The film's ability to resonate with diverse linguistic demographics underscores the potential for future projects to follow suit, contributing to the resurgence and expansion of cross-cultural cinema. With its broad appeal, Kalki 2898 AD could be a game-changer, inspiring more filmmakers to embrace the multilingual format and reach wider audiences," Saksena added.

About 1.5 million tickets for Kalki have been booked on the platform, with cities such as Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Tirupati leading the charts, followed by Warangal, Vijaywada, Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Pune. Single screen cinemas have contributed to 60% of all ticket sales. Close to 45% of viewers have opted for the 3D or IMAX version.

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To be sure, the absence of big releases over the past few months has left theatre owners, particularly those in small towns, in dire straits. Pranav Garg, MD at Maya Palace, a two-screen property in Muzaffarnagar, referred to the current scheme of things as a do or die situation for cinemas where some small films may have kept them afloat but the success of a big spectacle like Kalki is crucial for the business to bounce back. In that sense, there is much riding on the action spectacle as far as both exhibitors and makers go.

“The film's total budget is indeed substantial, reflecting the scale and ambition of the project. The theatrical box office will play a crucial role in the film's overall recovery. We are optimistic that the film will perform exceptionally well, driving strong box office revenues and reaffirming the appeal of high-quality, content-driven cinematic experience," Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas, said.