Kalki 2898 AD: How will regulations affect the release of Prabhas-Kamal Haasan starrer?

The highly-anticipated movie Kalki 2898 AD is all set to hit the screens next Thursday. There seems to be a growing demand from fans for midnight and very early morning shows for the film, which stars some of India's biggest superstars, including Kamal Haasan and Prabhas.

At the moment, the producers have not revealed their plans for midnight shows or paid premieres. However, screenings for the film in India will begin as early as 4 AM.

ALSO READ: Kalki 2898 AD is the climax of Indian mythological epics, says Nag Ashwin

The early morning screenings will happen in states where there are no regulations against such special shows. For example, the Tamil Nadu government has banned fan shows in the state, following the death of a young fan last year during one such celebration. As per the new regulations, theatres in Tamil Nadu can only hold four daily shows, starting no earlier than 9 AM. The producers must get special permission to increase the number of shows per theatre.

However, such government restrictions are not in place in other states. The change in the regime in Andhra Pradesh is also set to benefit Kalki 2898 AD. The previous government led by YS Jagan Mohan had policies that heavily regulated the box office business in the state, much to the despair of Telugu filmmakers. The earlier government had heavily regulated ticket prices, which apparently prevented the stakeholders from making profits even from blockbuster movies.

ALSO READ: Why is the Telugu film industry overjoyed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's electoral defeat?

The newly-elected government led by Chandrababu Naidu is touted to have a more friendly approach towards the film fraternity and is expected to overturn the policies that are deemed detrimental to the growth of the film business. In that case, the producers may not face any challenges hosting midnight shows, if they find the right distribution partners.

Written and directed by Nag Ashwin, Kalki 2898 AD has been made at a whopping cost of Rs 600 crore. The filmmakers will benefit from a huge opening across the country on June 27.

Enjoy 35+ OTTs like ZEE5, LionsgatePlay, Ullu, SunNXT, SonyLIV, Fancode and 250+ Live TV channels at just ₹99