Kalki 2898 AD crosses ₹700 crore; Nag Ashwin hails Prabhas as the ‘biggest box office star of this era’

Meanwhile, the makers recently put up a social media post, where Nag Ashwin described Prabhas as “the biggest box office star of this era”. He also commended the Baahubali actor’s “intelligent inputs” that enhanced the film.

The post was shared along with an unseen on-set photo of Prabhas from Kalki 2898 AD.

This man sitting casually there is the reason for all this, unbiasedly the biggest box office star of this era… He gave our production the confidence to do what we did, he gave me the freedom to do what I did… and so many intelligent inputs helped guide the film to what it is…… pic.twitter.com/pcQLJQZPzY

— Vyjayanthi Movies (@VyjayanthiFilms) July 3, 2024

Related: From RRR to Kalki 2898 AD: Why do multistarrers matter?

Kalki 2898 AD collection

Kalki 2898 AD opened strong in India, earning ₹95.3 crore net on its first day. Despite a dip to ₹57.6 crore net on day two, it rebounded with ₹64.5 crore net on 29 June and ₹88.2 crore net on 30 June.

Further, the Prabhas-led film amassed an impressive domestic total of ₹393.4 crore net, as per industry data tracked by Sacnilk.

The Telugu version of Kalki 2898 AD outperformed its dubbed counterparts, contributing a substantial ₹202.8 crore net. Meanwhile, the Hindi version collected a commendable ₹152.5 crore net, positioning it as the second-highest grosser in the Hindi market this year, trailing only Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter (2024).

In the film, Prabhas plays Bhairava, a bounty hunter hailing from Kasi. Deepika plays SU-M80, a pregnant test subject also known as Sumathi.

Amitabh Bachchan takes on the role of Ashwatthama, while Kamal Haasan plays Supreme Yaskin, the leader of the Complex.

Kamal Haasan’s rumoured look, which didn’t make it to the cut. (X)

Although Kalki 2898 AD received positive reviews overall, many critics noted that its first half was overshadowed by its more engaging second half, which sets the plot in motion.

It seems Kamal Haasan shared this sentiment, as he mentioned that despite his limited screen time in the film, it’s the sequel that has sparked his excitement.

In most of the film, Kamal Haasan appears as a starved man, connected to machines serving as life support. Post-interval, he is seen in a beefed-up version of the character.

In Kalki 2898 AD, Yaskin transforms after receiving a drop of formula, extracted from the unborn child, carried by Sum-80 (Deepika Padukone).

A viral artwork now suggests that Nag Ashwin contemplated a different appearance for Yaskin in the film. The rumoured look, which didn’t make it to the cut, featured a halo-like installation behind Kamal’s head and a metallic gear on his neck, giving the character a bulkier and somewhat cumbersome appearance.

The audience discovers that Prabhas’ Bhairava is the reincarnation of Karna, from Mahabharat, who fought alongside Ashwatthama in the battle of Kurukshetra.

Bhairava gains power upon wielding his ancient weapon but returns to the present timeline once he loses it. The film ends with Ashwatthama chained on the battlefield, suggesting a cyclical nature of history in war.

Meanwhile, Bhairava departs with the pregnant Sumathi, reminiscent of Ravana’s abduction of Sita from Ramayana.

(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)

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