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Prithviraj Sukumaran’s long-awaited action thriller Khalifa hit theaters on August 20, posting impressive opening day numbers. The film delivered the second-biggest domestic opening of the actor’s career, trailing only the record-breaking ₹8.72 crore debut of Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life)
Directed by Vysakh, the film is headlined by Prithviraj and also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh as the antagonist (in his Malayalam film debut) and features a cameo by Mohanlal.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Khalifa collected an estimated ₹5.35 crore net across 1,967 shows on Day 1, with total domestic gross estimates pushing near ₹6.2 crore. Driven by a strong overseas gross of ₹6 crore, the film’s opening worldwide gross stands at ₹12.2 crore.
Unsurprisingly, Kerala led the domestic market with a ₹4.85 crore gross, while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu contributed ₹44 lakh and ₹20 lakh, respectively.
The start comfortably moves Khalifa past several of Prithviraj’s recent openers. While Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) retains the top spot, Khalifa has outpaced initial debuts for Guruvayoorambala Nadayil (₹4.26 crore), Kaduva (₹3.11 crore), and Gold (₹2.89 crore).
According to Sacnilk, Khalifa recorded a Kerala advance of (₹3.01 crore from 1,612 shows, with an initial occupancy of over 36 percent. This ranks as the 6th biggest pre-sale of the year from Kerala, with event films like Drishyam 3 (₹8.19 crore) and Patriot ((₹5.66 crore) leading the chart.
Khalifa is written and produced by under his Jiinu Abraham Innovation banner, continuing a partnership that includes Kaapa, Adam Joan, and Kaduva. It features music is by Jakes Bejoy and is edited by Chaman Chacko.
Mohanlal is next set to headline Athimanoharam, slated for a December 24 theatrical release.