Prabhas, who plays the lead role of Bhairava, has reportedly taken a pay cut and charged a fee of Rs 80 crore for the film, reports Jagran. The report further claims that Deepika Padukone, who portrays the pivotal character of Sumathi, was paid Rs 20 crore for her maiden Telugu project.
‘KALKI 2898 AD’: Public Verdict on Prabhas, Deepika, and Amitabh Bachchan’s Magnum Opus
Interestingly, the same amount was reportedly paid to veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, who play the roles of Ashwatthama and Kali, respectively. While the claims about the casts’ remuneration could not be independently verified, the film’s overall budget is said to be a staggering Rs 600 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian productions to date.
Kalki 2898 AD has already created a buzz, with the film selling over 19 lakh tickets across all languages in the country. In the Telugu market alone, the film has sold over 15 lakh tickets, and it has already earned over Rs 50 crore through advance bookings, as per a report by Sacnilk.com. The film is expected to make a grand Rs 100 crore opening for Thursday.