The post-apocalyptic film, inspired by Hindu scriptures, blends the Mahabharata with science fiction.
Published Jul 28, 2024 | 10:24 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 28, 2024 | 10:26 PM
A still of Nag Ashwin; Amitabh Bachchan in 'Kalki 2898 AD'. (X)
Kalki 2898 AD director Nag Ashwin revealed how he managed to get filmmakers SS Rajamouli and Ram Gopal Varma to make special appearances in the film. In an interview with Indian Express, Nag also addressed whether he was able to cast all the actors on his wishlist for Kalki 2898 AD.
Nag Ashwin mentioned he had to convince SS Rajamouli and Ram Gopal Varma, who “graciously agreed to support the film”.
Nag Ashwin shared, “The four main actors—Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, and Deepika Padukone—are on everyone’s wishlist. Amitabh Bachchan was my only choice for Ashwatthama, a great warrior in the Mahabharata. Bachchan sir is a huge star, and his character, an 8-foot tall warrior with divine blessings, has intense fight scenes with Prabhas, who plays a bounty hunter and is one of the biggest contemporary action heroes. It was a dream to pull this off.”
Ashwa just hanging out on set.#Kalki2898AD @SrBachchan pic.twitter.com/AJqcYQ16ho
— Vyjayanthi Movies (@VyjayanthiFilms) July 25, 2024
The post-apocalyptic film, set in 2898 AD and inspired by Hindu scriptures, blends the Mahabharata with science fiction and is produced by Vyjayanthi Movies.
The big-budget film, also starring Brahmanandam, Saswata Chatterjee, Anna Ben and Shobhana, was released in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and English.
Nag Ashwin faced criticism for not depicting enough suffering in his dystopian world despite the lack of resources.
He explained it was a deliberate choice to make the film accessible to kids. “Showing Prabhas’s character as light-hearted despite the crumbling world was intentional. There’s humour even in the darkest times. In war, some maintain a sense of humour. I wanted to emphasise human relationships.”
A collage of stills from ‘Kalki 2898 AD’. (Supplied)
In its four-week run, Kalki 2898 AD has crossed ₹625 crore at the domestic box office. Early estimates by Sacnilk report it earned ₹1.25 crore on its 30th day, bringing the total to ₹625.1 crore net.
Globally, it has grossed ₹1100 crore, surpassing Pathaan (2023), but still needs to exceed Atlee’s 2023 action thriller, Jawan’s ₹1160 crore to become the fifth highest-grossing film of all time.
Nag Ashwin initially intended to complete the story of Kalki 2898 AD in one film. However, with four main characters—Bhairava (Prabhas), SU-M80 (Deepika), Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan), and Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan)—he realised that fitting their stories into one film was challenging.
He acknowledged the need for a sequel to explore the extensive action and backstories, noting that more shooting and casting for new characters are still required.
Hopefully, part two will answer all our questions, leaving no stone unturned.
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)
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