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Film: Kalki 2898 AD
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan
Director: Nag Ashwin
Producers: C. Aswini Dutt, Swapna Dutt, Priyanka Dutt
Kalki 2898 AD has been one of the most anticipated films from Indian cinema, and has had a phenomenal opening weekend around the globe. Here’s our verdict on the film!
As promised, the film takes inspiration from the Puranas and takes the viewer into the year 2898 which is around 6000 years into Kali Yuga. In the last standing city in the world, Kashi, we meet Bhairava (Prabhas), a bounty hunter, who dreams of entering the Complex. The Complex, being a place of paradise, hovers above Kashi. Bhairava is determined to enter the Complex and this determination could end up costing the entire world’s future as you will see in the movie. In the Complex, we meet SUM 80 (Deepika Padukone) who later becomes known as Sumati. Sumati is a servant in the Complex, and serves the many pregnant women kept in a laboratory to extract serums to extend the life of Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan). Sumati is pregnant but has to keep this a secret or else lose her baby and life.
While we meet Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) in the beginning to remind us of his back story, it is his return to fulfil his purpose of protecting the next avatar of Vishnu which makes us marvel over the character. These four characters are central to the story and overall world created. The characters are intriguing and praise-worthy as their purpose is well-defined, and each comes with a twist as the story progresses. The much-talked about cameos in the film are also well-placed and certainly add to the experience.
The performances of Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan are definitely worthy of all the praise and you cannot help but admire the veteran actors for excelling in such new-age roles and narratives. Prabhas once again gives us a charming and entertaining performance, and proves why he is the ‘rebel star’ in the film. Deepika Padukone delivers a superb performance in her unique role which she should definitely be proud to add to her list of memorable characters.
The story and universe Nag Ashwin has created is mind-blowing and you will accept that only a genius could conceive such ideas and be brave enough to execute them. While this is praise-worthy, the biggest ‘low’ of the film is the slow-paced first-half which could throw the viewer off-track. Nevertheless the action-packed second half compensates for the demerits in the first. Given this is a universe which will be returning, we hope the pace is better and story presented a little clearer for the larger audience, and unaccustomed to the genre and backstory.
The background score deserves applause but we do hope the songs in the coming films are more memorable.
Overall, Kalki 2898 AD is a film Indian cinema lovers will enjoy and the team should be proud of. The merits outshine the demerits and that makes the overall experience satisfying. The ending of this film leaves us waiting for the continuation as this a story and journey you cannot miss out on!
Kalki 2898 AD is now showing at a cinema near you!
