Reviews

Film Review: Kalki 2898 AD

Sharada Kamble

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani

Director: Nag Ashwin

Set approximately 800 years in the future, Ashwin’s directorial venture, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, is a high budget film which treats audiences with a stunning blend of visual effects and innovative storyline.

The film is set in a dystopian future, where the poor are starved of basic resources while the oppressive leaders lead luxurious lives, led by the Supreme Yaskin, a totalitarian god-king played by Haasan, looks unrecognisable in his new avatar. In the dry and desolate world outside, a small community, known as ‘The Rebels’, stay hidden from the oppressive regime with the belief that Kalki will come to save humanity.

The titular name ‘Kalki’ refers to the 10th and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is said to descend on Earth to remove unrighteousness at the end of the Kali Yuga – the last eon according to Hindu mythology.

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In this dystopian society, fertile women are forcibly taken to the ‘Complex’ – the city of Yaskin – for Project K, an experiment aimed at producing a life-extending serum for the 200-year-old Yaskin through artificially inseminated foetuses. One of these women (Padukone), unbeknownst to her, is carrying Kalki and somehow manages to escape the Complex.

All this while, Ashwathama (Bachchan) – the renowned character from the Mahabharat – awaits his destiny to help ‘Kalki’ in a cavern far away from society and springs into action when the news of Kalki’s upcoming birth spreads. On the other hand, Bhairava, a bounty-hunter, decides to chase Sumati (Padukone) and collect the bounty placed on her.

Bachchan and Prabhas have carried the spectacular action scenes immensely well and are an absolute joy to watch together. Bachchan’s ever-charismatic nature brings an unmatched intensity to Ashwathama’s character in his quest to protect Kalki.

For those who love action and awe-inspiring cinematography, the film is packed with top-notch and stunning visual effects in a futuristic setting. All the performers contribute incredibly well to the story and script and the film picks up momentum in the second half as the story begins to unfold.

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‘Kalki 2898 AD’ takes several stories from Hindu texts and successfully combines them with contemporary sci-fi tropes, appealing to both traditional and modern audiences.

With audiences already waiting for Part-2 of the film, it is no surprise that ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ makes for a great cinematic experience.

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