Directed by Nag Ashwin, the Prabhas-starrer, will hit the screens on 27 June, in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and English.
Published Jun 25, 2024 | 5:51 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 25, 2024 | 5:55 PM
Rumours suggest that initially, Prabhas demanded a hefty ₹150 crore for Kalki 2898 AD, but later reduced his fee to ₹80 crore. (Supplied)
The pull of South Indian cinema has meant substantial earnings for stars like Prabhas. Initially reported to be taking home a hefty ₹150 crore for Kalki 2898 AD, the Baahubali actor has reduced his fee significantly to ₹80 crore.
Additionally, he has structured his deal with Vyjayanthi Movies to include a share in the film’s profits and rights. If the movie performs exceptionally well, Prabhas stands to earn nearly ₹100 crore, as per unconfirmed reports.
Made with a budget of ₹600 crore, a substantial part of which, was allocated to the remuneration of its stars, including Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Amitabh Bachchan, all of whom demanded significant fee.
Prabhas, portraying the protagonist Bhairava in Kalki 2898 AD, described working with his co-stars and on a production of this magnitude as “beyond a dream.”
Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan were allegedly charging ₹20 crore each, while Amitabh Bachchan’s fee was estimated to be ₹18 crore. Disha Patani, in contrast, earned ₹2 crore for her role.
The pre-release business of Kalki 2898 AD has set a record, and the Prabhas starrer must gross at least ₹125 crore in the Telugu states. Bookings for the film in the US are blazing hot, surpassing $3 million in presales alone.
Star Star Rebel Star 🔥🔥#Kalki2898AD isn’t just the release of a movie. It’s havoc. It’s madness. The world is under its mania 🙇♂️🙇♂️
YET ANOTHER ROCK SOLID – 125K tickets sold in North America now 💥💥#Prabhas @VyjayanthiFilms @Kalki2898AD pic.twitter.com/zlfNJww9CV
— Prathyangira Cinemas (@PrathyangiraUS) June 24, 2024
But this isn’t the first time Prabhas has cut down his pay for movies. Following his remarkable success with the Baahubali (2015; 2017) duology, Prabhas, we hear, won’t be charging a single penny for his upcoming film Raja Deluxe, scheduled for release in 2025. The reasons behind his decision remain uncertain.
Amidst criticism of his action-fantasy film, Adipurush (2023), Prabhas reduced his fee from ₹150 crore for that film to ₹100 crore for the action-thriller Salaar (2023), according to reports.
Directed by Nag Ashwin, Kalki 2898 AD will hit the screens on 27 June, in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and English. Before this one, the director has helmed Yevade Subramanyam (2015), The Savitri biopic, Mahanati (2018), and Pitta Kathalu (2021).
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)
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