What is the budget of Kalki 2898-AD?

"Kalki 2898-AD," a drama released in 2024, was directed by Nag Ashwin and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas. The production budget was $75,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
Development: After the success of Mahanati in 2019, Nag Ashwin stated that he had been working on an original story, for which he had spent a long time on.

What were the major cost factors in Kalki 2898-AD?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Kalki 2898-AD."

Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does Kalki 2898-AD's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $75,000,000, Kalki 2898-AD sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

Practical Magic (1998): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $46,733,235
The Hunger Games (2012): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $694,000,000
Robots (2005): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $262,511,490
Sing (2016): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $634,151,679
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $395,607,854

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

"Kalki 2898-AD" earned $18,289,575 domestically and $141,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $75,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Kalki 2898-AD," that break-even threshold was roughly $150,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $141,000,000, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $75,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $141,000,000
Net Return: $66,000,000
ROI: approximately 88%

At 88%, "Kalki 2898-AD" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Kalki 2898-AD Production History

After the success of Mahanati in 2019, Nag Ashwin stated that he had been working on an original story, for which he had spent a long time on. He also stated that the production would begin soon. The project would be funded by C.

Prabhas would sport long hair and beard, with reporters reminiscing his look in the film with Baahubali. Deepika Padukone was cast as the female lead, in her Telugu film debut despite having starred in the unreleased Love 4 Ever. Amitabh Bachchan was confirmed to play an important role, in his Telugu film debut as he had previously only made cameo appearances in Manam (2014) and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019).

Principal photography began with the first schedule on 24 July 2021, on the occasion of Guru Purnima, at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad featuring Bachchan. Prabhas and Padukone joined the production in December 2021 and scenes featuring both the actors and Bachchan were shot. The second schedule of the shoot took place in February 2022.

Awards and Recognition

4 wins & 10 nominations total

Critical Reception

While Deccan Chronicle mentioned mixed reviews and WION wrote that the film "failed to impress", India Today commented that the reviews were positive.