Kalki 2898 AD movie review: Prabhas overshadowed by towering Amitabh Bachchan in Nag Ashwin’s ambitious, star-studded spectacle (2025)

A couple of things wrestled for front-of-cortex space while I was watching ‘Kalki 2898 AD’: this Telugu language sci-fi film, set in, what else, 2898 AD, is the first comprehensive pan-Indian film. The trend which has been gathering force in the last few years has resulted in a cast which is drawn, literally, from all the major filmmaking centres in India, straddling Bengal and Kerala, and everything in between.

And the other was just how hard it is for Indian tent poles to have a screenplay which is tight and gripping all the way through. I can’t remember a recent film of this staggering size and scale, mounted with such ambition, being such a plod to begin with.

Pre-interval, Kalki, which happily borrows its aesthetics from all kinds of futuristic films (with flashes of Mad Max, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, and even, yes, a glimpse of the godawful Adipurush, and, of course, the Bahubali-RRR slate, showing major indebtedness to the Amar Chitra Katha universe) meanders, stops and starts, remembers that it needs to bung in a set piece here and a set piece there, and then slumps back again. Oh, and how did I forget Bladerunner, and Dune in terms of influences? The latter is an ‘inspiration’ for the film’s posters, in both image and font. Hard to believe? Check it out for yourself.

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The second half, which is clearly reserved for the big-hero-villain-confrontations, shakes things up somewhat, and saves the film from being a total snoozefest. And it redeems itself, just in the nick of time, by a rousing climax, where everyone comes out, literally, all guns blazing.

As it goes about setting the scene, doing the world-building thing, introducing us to its myriad characters, it is a hard sell. Yes, there’s Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama, the mighty saviour, who has survived several ‘sadis’, from the age of the Mahabharat to ‘kaliyuga’, and the time that it is set in, where the last avatar of Vishnu is meant to appear to save the world. Talk to the hand, and also, read the Puranas, where this is a much-beloved prophecy. Of course, it is a Hindu rashtra (but then the film does say that it is inspired by the Hindu scriptures), and set in Kashi, ‘where Ma Ganga has dried up washing away our sins’, as a character puts it, so maybe that’s why there’s so much Hindu iconography, just like in the Baahubali-RRR films. But those were period films. Is this what the future holds? Ooh.

And yes, there’s Kamal Hassan as the evil Supreme Yaskin, who lords over the ‘Complex’, a utopian city which hovers over Kashi, the only liveable city left in a world gone desiccated and dry. His entourage includes Commander Manas (Saswata Chatterjee, trying hard to muster up adequate menace, and managing to hit the mark once or twice), and a curly-haired soothsayer (Anil George) who talks darkly about divine intervention and ancient weapons (behold the ‘Gandeeva dhanush’) being supercharged again.

ALSO READ | Kalki 2898 AD Movie Review box office collection day 1: Reviews call Prabhas’ film ‘next-level, like Hollywood’, it breaks RRR record

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And, of course, there’s Prabhas, as bounty hunter Bhairava, who is meant to be headlining this movie, but is to be found clowning around much more than flexing his muscles. He makes us wait, and wait, and wait, to actually hit his stride, in which he finally turns business-like, smiting the ungodly hip and thigh. Sigh.

There’s Deepika Padukone as the lab-lady SUM-80 or Sumati, in whose ‘kokh’ nestles the The One, waiting to come out and take charge. Outfitted in a very chic shaggy haircut, and a toga-like thing, she is referred to as Ma. There’s Disha Patani, who shows up to do god only knows what, and then disappears, and we forget about her even when she is on screen. There’s Shobhana as the Senior Mother, who presides over a Utopian land across the high mountains called Shambhala, where green leaves still grow. This is where the resistance to the all-powerful Supreme hides out, and this is where all roads lead to, when a rescue posse, accompanied by the spirited Kyra (Anna Ben, who lifts things up nicely even if briefly), who along with her compatriots (Pasupathy and Pasha) shows up just at the right time.

The thing is, a film of this order of magnitude, will be a sprawl. It will have a whole array of characters. That’s a given. It also has an entire phalanx of celebrity cameos which makes for several fan moments, and not much else. The challenge is to keep everything up and running, while keeping us suitably engaged. ‘Kalki’ manages to do this only post-interval, after getting us all bored and impatient in the first. The worst part are the laugh tracks– large tracts of which are given to Prabhas to shoulder– which just don’t land. I can’t say if it’s the same in the Telugu or Tamil versions, but in the Hindi version that I watched, most of the attempted humour comes off unfunny, and slows the film down. The only exception is a robot called Bujji (voiced by Keerthy Suresh), fashioned as Bhairava’s cutesy, smart-mouthed side-kick, who induces a smile.

Kalki 2898 AD movie review: Prabhas overshadowed by towering Amitabh Bachchan in Nag Ashwin’s ambitious, star-studded spectacle (2) Prabhas-starrer Kalki 2898 AD releases in theatres on June 27.

And yes, this may have Prabhas as the headliner, but it is Amitabh Bachchan all the way: his Ashwatthama is suitably gravelly and epic-like, as he sets about roundly bashing and punching poor Bhairava, in one of the best set-pieces in the film. He towers over the film, both literally and metaphorically, reminding you of the Bachchan of yore, who ‘made the line begin where he stood’. As to Kamal Haasan, he comes on sparingly, and saves his best for the last, but being Kamal Haasan, does leave an impact.

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So who’s up for the next instalment? The question is: will it waste less of our time, and commit more to its undeniable comic-book appeal?

Kalki 2898 AD movie cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Saswata Chatterjee, Shobhana, Anil George, Rajendra Prasad, Pasupathy, Anna Ben, Malvika Nair, Ayaz Pasha, Keerthy Suresh
Kalki 2898 AD movie director: Nag Ashwin
Kalki 2898 AD movie rating: 2.5 stars

Kalki 2898 AD movie review: Prabhas overshadowed by towering Amitabh Bachchan in Nag Ashwin’s ambitious, star-studded spectacle (2025)

FAQs

Kalki 2898 AD movie review: Prabhas overshadowed by towering Amitabh Bachchan in Nag Ashwin’s ambitious, star-studded spectacle? ›

The film's portrayal of a futuristic conflict is both captivating and unique. Prabhas shines in his role, delivering an electrifying performance that anchors the film's narrative. Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan add remarkable depth, while Deepika Padukone impresses with her authoritative presence.

What is the Kalki 2898 AD movie about? ›

What is the review of Kalki movie? ›

This elegant mix of large-scale science fiction with Indian mythology might have fallen flat at the hands of a less-experienced filmmaker with no vision for what he's creating, but Ashwin seems to know exactly where he wants to take his franchise and how each scene serves as a builder for what's to come excitingly and ...

Is Prabhas Kalki in Kalki 2898 AD? ›

Kalki 2898 AD starring Prabhas, who has a cult following in Tollywood (Telugu film industry) hit the screens on June 27 .

Is bhairava kalki in Kalki 2898 AD? ›

Kalki 2898 AD's Bhairava is a bounty hunter, ready to seize every opportunity to earn credits that will help him get an entry to 'The Complex' where everyone is rich, there is plentiful food and drink and as he says, 'I want to live by the sea'.

How much does Prabhas charge for Kalki? ›

There's even speculation that Deverakonda might reprise his role in a more substantial way for a potential sequel. The lead actor, Prabhas, earned a whopping Rs 150 crores for his performance, which made up 25% of the film's total budget.

Will Kalki 2898 AD be a hit? ›

The Telugu epic sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD has invigorated the Indian box office, grossing over Rs 350 crore domestically and Rs 500 crore globally within four days of release. Featuring stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Prabhas, the film's success marks a high point for 2024's otherwise slow box office year.

Is Kalki a female? ›

Kalki (Sanskrit: कल्कि), also called Kalkin, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of existence (Krita) in Vaishnava cosmology.

Is Kalki good or bad? ›

To make the world good, Kalki will come to Earth, and will destroy the bad things and kill the bad people. People will change then, and become good people. A new stage of will begin, called the Satya Yuga or the first stage of life. He is deciding to only come when everybody on Earth is very cruel.

Is Kalki a real story? ›

In Short. 'Kalki 2898 AD' is set in the post-apocalyptic time. It's partially based on the Kalki purana and beautifully combines science-fiction with Indian mythology. However, it's purely a work of fiction and a re-imagination by director Nag Ashwin, of a world devoid of nature and full of darkness.

How much collection of Kalki 2898 AD? ›

Kalki 2898 AD box office collection day 7: Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD collected ₹700 crore at the box office worldwide and made ₹392.9 crore in India. Kalki 2898 AD box office collection day 7: Prabhas in a key scene from the sci-fi film.

How many sequels are there of Kalki 2898 AD? ›

In late May 2024, it was reported that the film would have a sequel. On 26 June, a day prior to the film's release, Ashwin commented on Kalki 2898 AD: Part 2 and stated that it would begin in three years.

Is Kalki avatar real or fake? ›

Some people believe that the Kalki Avatar is a real figure who will one day come to Earth and bring about a new age of peace and enlightenment, while others believe that it is merely a mythological figure with no basis in reality.

Who is supreme in Kalki 2898 ad? ›

About Kalki 2898 AD

Amitabh plays Ashwatthama from Indian mythology, while Kamal plays Supreme Yaskin, leader of the Complex.

Who will Kalki worship? ›

Soon, Kalki worships Shiva, who gets pleased by the devotion and provides him in return a divine white horse named Devadatta (a manifestation of Garuda), a powerful sword, whereby its handle is bedecked with jewels, and a parrot named Shuka, who is an all-knower; the past, the present and the future.

Why is Karna in Kalki 2898 ad? ›

Bhairava and Karna connection in Kalki 2898 AD

Karna's plight in Mahabharata inspires Bhairava's story in 'Kalki 2898 AD'. In fact, there are hints about Bhairava being a Karna avatar which are quite predominant in the Nag Ashwin film. Prabhas plays Bhairava, the bounty hunter, who is an orphan.

What is the movie Kalki based on? ›

Written by director Ashwin himself, Kalki 2898 AD takes inspiration from the Hindu mythological character Ashwatthama who needs to protect humanity some 6000 years after the legendary war of Mahabharat in India's Kurukshetra.

What is the story behind Kalki? ›

Most historians, states Arvind Sharma, link the development of Kalki mythology in Hinduism to the suffering caused by foreign invasions. Unlike other messianic concepts, Kalki's purpose is to destroy the invaders and heretics in order to reverse the current age Kali Yuga, the age of evil.

What is Kalki trilogy about? ›

Book overview

Kevin has written down a beautiful novel, a retelling of the avatar of Lord Vishnu, Kalki, in a not so “mythological” manner. He has immense strength, which has been proven time and again by events like defeating enemies twice his size, faster healing of wounds and very sharp fighting skills.

Who is the villain in Kalki 2898 AD? ›

The movie features Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani. Amitabh Bachchan has played the role of immortal Ashwatthama, who finds his roots in the Mahabharata era. Kamal Hassan has played the role of villain Yaskin.

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