Deepika Shows Off Her Baby Bump

“Just
three
months
more,”
says
mom-to-be
Deepika
Padukone
in
a
witty
reply
when
asked
if
she
is
still
in
her
character
of
a
pregnant
woman
from
her
coming
film

Kalki
2898
AD.

“The
movie
went
on
for
about
three
years.
So
I
was
like,
why
not?”
the
actress
said,
flashing
a
radiant
smile
that
adds
to
her
glow.

The
question
came
from
Rana
Daggubati,
who
graciously
hosted
the
pre-launch
event
for
his

Baahubali
co-star
and
dear
friend
Prabhas
ahead
of
his
latest
pan-India
biggie.

The
star-studded
gathering
for
Director
Nag
Ashwin’s
ambitious

Kalki
2898
AD
was
held
in
a
hotel
in
Mumbai
on
Wednesday
evening,
setting
the
stage
for
exciting
countdown
to
the
film’s
June
27
release.

Deepika
and
Prabhas
were
joined
by
Amitabh
Bachchan
and
Kamal
Haasan,
who
form
the
stellar
ensemble
of
the
upcoming
sci-fi
drama.

In
contrast
to
the
film’s
dystopian
theme,
Prabhas
looked
dapper
in
a
black
shirt,
whereas
Kamal
Haasan
wore
a
snappy
beige-coloured
jacket
and
a
black
cap.

Deepika
Padukone
was
ultra
glamorous
in
a
body-hugging
black
number
and
high
heels
and
her

Piku
co-star
Amitabh
Bachchan
looked
at
ease
dressed
in
a
black
hoodie
paired
with
a
comfy
pair
of
trousers.

The
extremely
shy
Prabhas
said
he
has
always
been
a
fan
of
Amitabh
Bachchan
and
Kamal
Haasan
and
working
alongside
them
in
this
film
was
‘bigger
than
a
dream.’

“The
first
time
when
I
met
Amitabh
sir
I
touched
his
feet.
Sir
asked
me
not
to
do
it.
He
said
he
would
touch
my
feet
as
well.
We
grew
up
watching
his
films.
He
is
the
first
actor
to
attract
audiences
across
the
country.”

The
actor
shares
an
anecdote
of
how
he
wanted
to
imitate
Kamal
Haasan
after
seeing
his
films,
“When

Sagara
Sangamam
came,
I
wanted
to
sport
Kamal
sir’s
costume
and
asked
my
mom
for
it.
In

Indrudu
Chandrudu,
sir
had
a
tummy.
My
cousins
used
to
wear
a
cloth
around
their
stomach
and
imitate
Kamal
sir.
I
am
now
working
with
him.
This
is
something
unbelievable.”

The
film
marks
Prabhas
and
Deepika’s
first
collaborative
project
and
the
actor
was
all
praise
for
her,
“I
always
wanted
to
work
with
Deepika.
She
attained
stardom
across
the
globe.
She
is
a
gorgeous,
beautiful,
and
a
great
actress.”

Oh,
Prabhas
does
talk,
and
here’s
proof.
Even
Deepika
couldn’t
resist
saying,
“He
deserves
applause
for
speaking
more
than
just
two
lines.”

Nag
Ashwin,
best-known
for
directing
the
National
Award
winning
2018
biographical
drama

Mahanati,
previously
hailed

Kalki
as
his
passion
project.
The
film
marks
the
50
years
celebration
of
the
Telugu
industry’s
prolific
studio
Vyjayanthi
Movies.
Producer
C
Aswani
Dutt’s
younger
daughter
Priyanka
is
married
to
Ashwin.

While
the
director
couldn’t
attend
the
event
due
to
the
film’s
demanding
post-production
work,
he
conveyed
his
excitement
in
a
video
message.

He
shared
a
peek
into
the
dystopian
future
of
the
film
and
explained
that
Kalki
is
set
in
Kashi
where
the
Ganga
has
dried
up
and
people
live
in
brutal
conditions
as
all
the
major
resources
are
sent
to
the
Complex,
controlled
by
Kamal
Haasan’s
tyrannical
figure
named
‘Supreme
Yaskin’.

Kamal
Haasan,
who
is
known
for
his
wacky
get-ups
in
films
like

Indian
and

Dasavathaaram,
shares
the
story
of
how
he
experimented
with
his
look
on
his
own
as
the
antagonist
of
this
film.
He
then
realised
that
the
Big
B
has
already
got
it
in
his
look,
so
he
dropped
the
idea.

The
senior
actor
then
suggested
donning
a
heavy
armour
suit
but
Prabhas
had
already
got
that
one.
He
quipped
that
he
would
have
tried
Deepika’s
look
as
well
but
didn’t
want
to
be
pregnant
in
the
film.

Just
why
did
Kamal
Haasan
take
up
the
project?
He
tells
us
here.

Pointing
towards
her
baby
bump,
Deepika
reveals
that
Prabhas
would
feed
everyone
on
the
set
“from
his
heart”
and
added,
“Actually,
I
have
become
like
this
because
of
all
the
food
he
(Prabhas)
has
fed
me.

“Every
day
Prabhas
would
bring
food
for
all
of
us.
It
got
to
a
point
when
it
wasn’t
just
food
coming
from
home,
there
was
like
a
full
catering
service.
Those,
who
know
him
well,
know
he
feeds
from
the
heart.”

After
her
speech
when
Deepika
stepped
off
the
stage,
both
Prabhas
and
Bachchan
rushed
forward
to
escort
her.
The
Big
B
playfully
chided
Prabhas
for
beating
him
to
it.

Producer
C
Aswani
Dutt
and
daughters
Swapna
and
Priyanka
Dutt
presented
Amitabh
Bachchan
the
first
day
first
ticket
of
the
film,
as
a
long-running
tradition
of
the
Telugu
film
industry.

Bachchan
thanked
them
and
mentioned
that
Dutt
is
the
“most
simple
and
kindest”
person
he
has
met
in
his
life.

He
went
on
to
touch
Aswani
Dutt’s
feet.

Visibly
surprised,
Dutt
reciprocated
the
gesture.

Amitabh
buys
the
ticket
and
gifts
it
to
Kamal
Haasan:

Amitabh
touches
Aswani
Dutt’s
feet

When
asked
whom
he
would
like
to
give
the
ticket
to,
Amitabh
said,
“I
will
give
it
to
my
colleague,
my
dear
friend,
my
brother
Kamal
Haasan.”

While
accepting
the
ticket,
Kamal
Haasan
reminisced
about
waiting
‘three
weeks’
to
watch

Sholay.
He
jokingly
said
that
he
wished
this
had
occurred
four
to
five
decades
ago
during
the
release
of
the
1975
Hindi
blockbuster.

“I
waited
three
weeks
to
watch
it.
I
never
imagined
I
would
be
here
receiving
the
first
day
first
show
ticket
from
Mr
Amitabh
Bachchan.
I
was
a
film
technician
then,
and
now
I
am
an
actor.
Nothing
has
changed,”
the
superstar
said.