Overview
- Khalifa opened in theatres on Thursday, Aug 20, 2026, and early reactions praised Prithviraj Sukumaran’s screen presence and a tightly guarded Mohanlal cameo.
- Box‑office trackers reported differing advance numbers: Trade Tollywood recorded about Rs 2.83 crore India advance gross and 1,54,320 tickets sold, Track Tollywood showed roughly Rs 2.33 crore in pre‑sales, while one trade report put worldwide day‑one advance at about Rs 4.2 crore with Kerala sales cited around Rs 2.65 crore.
- Critics and viewers largely agreed on the film’s technical strengths—action choreography, production values and Jakes Bejoy’s score—while repeatedly criticizing predictable plotting, weak conflict and a faltering second half.
- The Onam release window raises both box‑office upside and scrutiny, so the film’s short‑term commercial trajectory and the viability of the teased sequel now hinge on how quickly audience word‑of‑mouth turns positive.
- Industry watchers will be watching weekend occupancy, Kerala collections and social‑media sentiment for signs of momentum because those metrics will shape distributors’ and producers’ decisions about screens and the planned second chapter.