Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin and featuring superstars from various Indian film industries including Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone, among others, is a blend of Indian mythology and the dystopian action style of Mad Max: Fury Road. The film, based on the concept of Kalki, the prophesied tenth avatar of Vishnu in Hindu mythology, incorporates other mythological elements from Indian epics, carrying both utopian and dystopian themes in a cinematic adaptation with a decent use of VFX.
On the utopian side, the movie presents Kalki’s arrival as a harbinger of positive transformation in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are limited and the greedy exploit the poor. The most important element in the story is Ashwatthama and his immortal superheroism to save a modern-day Uttara’s child, serving as redemption for his actions millennia ago.
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The dystopian elements of the Kalki narrative in the movie are significant. The film portrays the arrival of Kalki during a time of great turmoil and degeneration, as Nag Ashwin attempts to create two worlds: one where destruction and selfishness are the norm, and Shambhala, where the prophesied Kalki is expected to be born.
Prabhas’ performance, following his much-talked-about movies like Baahubali, Adipurush, and Salaar, can seem a bit monotonous in terms of his superhero and machismo roles. However, his comedic timing and certain scenes provide the ‘Rebel Star’ with some good opportunities for performance. Amitabh Bachchan, as Ashwatthama, is perfectly cast, though he is often covered in dust or makeup, allowing primarily his voice and eyes to perform. Deepika Padukone shoulders the full-fledged heroine’s role, portraying a lab subject and later a beacon of hope for the good world with care and composure.
The movie also has good roles for Malayalam great Shobana and young actress Anna Ben. Shobana, as the in charge of Shambala and Anna Ben as a young warrior from the place got extended cameos those implicitly make use of the calibre of both the actors.
Kamal Haasan, who makes cameo appearances as the antagonist, makes his presence noticeable and expected to be big in the sequel or may be sequels.
The biggest enemy of Kalki 2898 AD is the ambiguity of what is happening on the screen. Names of places, people, and times are introduced without much context, leaving the audience to piece together the comical and disjointed elements presented. In Mahanati, Nag Ashwin’s strength was the detailed portrayal of Savitri’s life. However, in the mad rush to bring multiple elements to the screen with a massive star cast, he seems to have lost that touch in Kalki 2898 AD.
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The special effects in the movie are an upgrade from Prabhas’ Adipurush, and it seems a good amount of money was spent on them. However, a basic problem remains: in the process of making the Visual Effects and Special Effects standard, the makers fails to achieve the mark and at times they end up creating scenes similar to low grade gaming visuals.
Timeline verdict: Kalki 2898 AD is a good effort by mixing the Indian mythology with the apocalyptic world and a decent watch barring the inadequacies of the making.
Kalki 2898 AD Crew:
Director, Writer: Nag Ashwin
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Cinematography: Djordje Stojiljkovic
Cast: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Rajendra Prasad, Shobhana, Saswata Chatterjee, Brahmanandam, Pasupathy, Anna Ben, Malvika Nair, Harshith Malgireddy, Mrunal Thakur
