Kalki 2898 AD is hoping to set a new record for advance ticket sales with just one day left. The pan-Indian tent-pole movie, starring Prabhas and numerous acting icons, is primarily attracting spectators in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but it is also generating excitement in Hindi-speaking cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the movie has already sold over 1.4 million tickets worth Rs 38 crore ahead of its debut on Thursday. The movie is estimated to generate advance sales of around Rs 50 crore.
With a projected global debut of between Rs 180 and Rs 200 crore, Sacnilk is estimating a local debut of between Rs 120 and Rs 140 crore and an overseas debut of about Rs 60 crore. Kalki has the potential to become just the third Indian movie ever, following Baahubali 2: The Conclusion and RRR, to earn more than Rs 200 crore on its opening day. Prabhas, who holds the rare distinction of having made four of the top ten biggest worldwide debuts in Indian film history, costarred in Baahubali 2.
Due to the fact that it is a “super high budget film” and needs government assistance to recoup expenditures, the Andhra Pradesh government has temporarily permitted price increases for tickets. In contrast to most other regions in the nation, Andhra Pradesh has ticket pricing regulations. It now permits an increase in ticket prices of Rs 125 for multiplexes and Rs 75 for single screens. The priciest tickets for Kalki 2898 AD in Hyderabad are being offered for Rs 505 before taxes on the ticketing website BookMyShow. In several Delhi regions last year, seats for Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan were being offered for as much as Rs 2200.
Hyderabad’s ticket costs are significantly lesser than those of Delhi and Mumbai. On BookMyShow, one ticket to a 3D screening at PVR Director’s Cut in Gurugram’s Ambience Mall costs Rs 1850 before taxes on Saturday evening. One ticket for the Saturday 3D screening at Epicuria in Nehru Place, Delhi, costs Rs 1670, while PVR Select CityWalk is charging Rs 1700. The priciest 2D tickets in Delhi on Saturday go for Rs 800. For opening weekend performances, this is a roughly two-fold increase over standard ticket rates.
At the Jio World Drive special drive-in location operated by PVR, the most costly ticket available to viewers in Mumbai for Kalki is Rs 2000, exclusive of taxes. An INOX venue in Worli is offering 3D seats for Rs 1760 on Saturday evening. The PVR Phoenix Palladium in Lower Parel is selling recliner seats for Rs 1330. Despite substantially lower ticket costs, the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana alone have contributed to advance sales of almost Rs 27 crore.