Now Reading: Khalifa box office drops 57% on day 2, Prithviraj faces second flop
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Khalifa box office drops 57% on day 2, Prithviraj faces second flop
Prithviraj Sukumaran's 'Khalifa' has seen a sharp 57% drop in its Indian box office collections on day 2, earning Rs 2.3 crore net compared to Rs 5.35 crore on day 1. According to Koimoi, the film's total net collection stands at Rs 7.78 crore after two days. The outlet describes the performance as a 'second consecutive failure of 2026' for the actor, noting that the film was made on a budget of Rs 50 crore and has recovered only 15.56% of its cost.
Onmanorama reports a different picture, stating 'Khalifa' earned an estimated Rs 1.90 crore net on its third day, taking its total net to Rs 9.65 crore. It attributes the film's decline to competition from the Nivin Pauly-starrer 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit', which has been gaining momentum. Onmanorama says 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit' recorded the biggest opening day of Nivin Pauly's career with Rs 4.90 crore net in India and Rs 15.70 crore worldwide, and its current ticket sales on BookMyShow far outpace 'Khalifa'.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Koimoi leads with the crash and frames 'Khalifa' as a certain failure, spotlighting budget recovery ratios and a year of flops. Onmanorama leads with the competitor's rise, presenting 'Khalifa's decline as relative to a stronger rival. Koimoi omits the competitor's specific numbers, Onmanorama omits the budget-recovery framing. The middle ground is that 'Khalifa' is underperforming against a strong Onam release, but its ultimate profitability is not yet determined. Watch for the film's third-weekend hold and whether it crosses Rs 15 crore net, the threshold Koimoi set.
The coverage is split between a failure narrative and a competitive-race narrative, but both confirm a steep weekday drop for 'Khalifa'.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (2): koimoi.com (sensationalist), onmanorama.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
