Despite the long runtime, the makers are confident of keeping the audience engaged throughout.
Published Jun 20, 2024 | 5:46 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 20, 2024 | 5:46 PM
Team 'Kalki 2898 AD' at the pre-release event in Mumbai. (X)
As the release date of the most anticipated film of the year, Kalki 2898 AD, is nearing, the expectations of fans are also reaching fever pitch.
The pan-India film, directed by Nag Ashwin and starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead roles, is set to hit the screens on 27 June.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Kalki 2898 AD features Amitabh as the immortal Ashwatthama and Prabhas as Bhairava, an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Kamal Haasan is playing the baddie in the movie. The actor will reportedly appear for about 15 minutes in the first part and over an hour in the second part. He recently finished his dubbing part in Chennai.
With less than a week left for the release, fans and cine-goers are now guessing about the runtime and other major aspects of Kalki 2898 AD.
According to reports, Kalki 2898 AD, which recently completed the certification process, has a runtime of 3 hours and 56 seconds.
Despite the long runtime, the makers are confident of keeping the audience engaged throughout.
No amount of darkness can Resist a smile 🌟
7 days to go for #Kalki2898AD.@SrBachchan @ikamalhaasan #Prabhas @deepikapadukone @nagashwin7 @DishPatani #AnnaBen @Music_Santhosh @VyjayanthiFilms @Kalki2898AD @saregamaglobal @saregamasouth #Kalki2898ADonJune27 pic.twitter.com/4V3tdksvgR
— Vyjayanthi Movies (@VyjayanthiFilms) June 20, 2024
Meanwhile, the pre-release event held in Mumbai on Wednesday night, 19 June, was a huge success, with all the stars gracing the occasion.
Among many things, the makers also showcased the trailer to the guests who attended the pre-release event.
However, a part of the trailer leaked online after being supposedly captured on the phone without authorisation.
While the quality of the video is rather poor, it managed to catch the attention of viewers, making them urge the makers to release the official trailer.
This frenzy also translated to pre-sales. According to news reports, Kalki 2898 AD already surpassed the milestone of 55,555 tickets in North America.
The Prabhas-starrer is set to release in multiple languages worldwide.
#Kalki2898AD North America 55.5K+ Tickets Sold 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/ZG3iBoLkkl
— Box Office (@Box_Office_BO) June 20, 2024
Kalki 2898 AD recently made headlines for the wrong reasons when a Korean artist named Sung Choi made plagiarism allegations against the makers.
In his Instagram post, Choi shared and later deleted one of his artworks along with the screenshot of a scene from the film’s trailer, depicting a war-ravaged city. The two had a striking resemblance.
The artist captioned the post: “Unauthorised use of the artwork is a bad practice. This makes me question doing art in this lawless environment.”
Soon after the post went viral, netizens criticised the makers of Kalki 2898 AD for plagiarising Choi’s artwork.
Meanwhile, to keep up the anticipation for his movie, director Nag Ashwin is releasing a series of special videos titled “Prelude of Kalki 2989 AD” on social media and explaining the creative process behind the film.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
