Prabhas
may
be
the
face
of Kalki
2898
AD’s heroics
but
the
real
bang
for
your
buck
is
delivered
in
Amitabh
Bachchan’s
indefatigable
energy
providing Kalki’s biggest
wolf-whistle
moments,
applauds
Sukanya
Verma.
I’m
suspicious
of
anything
that
comes
with
the
‘most
expensive
movie
ever
made’
tag.
These
big-budget,
bombastic
extravaganzas
are
so
consumed
by
scale
they
forget
to
let
their
hair
down.
But
the
force
is
strong
with
Nag
Ashwin’s
Kalki
2898
AD
whose
Hollywood
dystopia-meets-Hindu
mythology
gig
is
a
welcome
offering
on
the
shuddh
desi
sci-fi
action
fantasy
front.
Clearly
fanboying
at
Star
Wars
and
Mad
Max:
Fury
Road
in
its
aspirations,
Kalki
2898
AD’s
visual
pizzazz
and
wizardry
takes
cues
from
everything
between
Avengers
and
anime.
But
Nag
Ashwin’s
world-building
is
most
gratifying
when
following
its
own
path
and
roots.
Set
centuries
after
the
Kurukshetra
battle,
earth
wears
a
ravaged
face
from
the
devastating
effects
of
years
and
years
of
war
and
violence.
An
elite
autocratic
organisation
called
Complex
reigns
supreme
over
Kashi,
the
sole
survivor
of
this
catastrophe
and
secretly
reaps
in
the
fruits
of
privilege
leaving
the
poor
to
languish
and
the
rebels
to
retaliate
in
the
tradition
of
Elysium,
Star
Wars,
the
ilk.
Although
a
cruel
commando
Saswata
Chatterjee
(playing
a
despot
with
wry
humour)
does
most
of
his
bidding,
it’s
the
elusive
Supreme
Yaskin
(Kamal
Haasan),
he
and
his
fleet
of
homegrown
stormtroopers
show
deference
to.
Yaskin’s
creepily
celestial
aura
evokes
a
wild
mix
of
Dune’s
Baron
Harkonnen,
Dr
Strange’s
Ancient
One
and
Watchmen’s
Doctor
Manhattan,
Doc
Ock,
Neo,
all
sorts
of
mish-mash
yet
always
its
own
beast.
Kalki
2898
AD
builds
on
his
intrigue
even
as
Haasan’s
ease
for
oddities
is
perfect
for
the
part.
Part
of
Complex’s
exploitation
programme
includes
harvesting
fertile
women
like
lab
rats
for
extracting
a
special
serum,
which
is
mysteriously
connected
to
Supreme
Yaskin’s
health.
Somewhere
in
this
part
of
the
building
resembling
an
honeycomb
dwells
SUM-80
(Deepika
Padukone),
an
experiment
turned
blessing.
Before
boons
can
bear
fruit,
Kalki
has
curses
to
deal
with,
especially
the
one
of
immortality
that
Krishna
casts
on
Ashwatthama
(Amitabh
Bachchan)
as
a
punishment
for
his
brahmastra
blunder
during
the
Kurukshetra
war.
Saving
the
baby
growing
inside
SUM-80
is
part
of
his
atonement
and
rescuing
humanity
from
the
clutches
of
Complex.
Hope
lies
hidden
in
the
hush-hush
sanctuary
of
Shambala
run
by
its
caring
matriarch
Mariam
(Shobhana),
evoking
a
Princess
Leia-ish
figure
from
the
latter
instalments
of
Star
Wars.
It’s
obvious
the
makers
expect
the
viewers
to
be
reasonably
well-versed
in
Mahabharat
to
appreciate
the
subtle
details
or
figure
the
motives
of
its
key
players,
drawn
from
two
of
the
most
tragic
albeit
flawed
heroes
of
the
epic,
Karna
and
Ashwatthama.
What
unfolds
like
a
big
reveal
to
the
unversed
is
simply
a
case
of
connecting
the
dots.
Even
if
one
doesn’t
know
the
nitty-gritties,
there’s
ample
ammo
in
Nag
Ashwin’s
arsenal
to
keep
the
audience
fired
up
about
what’s
in
store,
whether
you
watch
it
in
Telugu
or
Hindi.
A
running
time
of
three
hours
is
a
daunting
prospect
and
Kalki
2898
AD’s
indulgences
and
excesses
prolong
the
conflict
for
far
too
longer
than
required
in
its
excitement
to
overstuff
the
narrative
in
flashbacks
and
back
stories
teeming
in
dispensable
characters
(Disha
Patani
serves
little
purpose
except
as
a
distraction),
star-studded
cameos
(from
Team
Baahubali,
Team
Mahanati
and
a
one
truly
trippy
surprise)
and
elusive
theories
(for
the
convenience
of
future
movies).
Except
the
movie
is
providing
so
much
fun
with
its
add-ons,
it
doesn’t
hurt
to
play
along.
Comfortable
as
ever
in
larger-than-life
biggies,
Prabhas
puts
his
commanding
presence
to
good
use
as
burly
Bhairava
—
a
money-minded
Han
Solo
unwilling
to
pick
sides
even
if
his
AI
pilot
and
cargo
ship
are
a
long
way
off
from
Chewbacca
or
Millenium
Falcon.
The
strapping
star
may
be
the
face
of
Kalki
2898
AD’s
heroics
but
the
real
bang
for
your
buck
is
delivered
in
Amitabh
Bachchan’s
indefatigable
energy
providing
Kalki’s
biggest
wolf-whistle
moments.
Watching
the
veteran
in
action
at
80-plus
is
exhilarating.
Armed
with
shuddh
Hindi
and
towering
charisma
he
energises
the
screen
as
an
undying
presence.
Lifting
half
a
dozen
on
his
shoulders,
VFX
enabled
though
it
may
be,
is
still
a
robust
sight
of
the
man
who
immortalised
the
idea
of
Saari
duniya
ka
bojh
hum
uthate
hain.
Birth-giver
of
heroes
and
avatars,
be
it
Azad
of
Jawan
or
the
unborn
God
growing
in
her
womb
in
Kalki
2898
AD,
Deepika
Padukone
has
mastered
the
art
of
conveying
purposefulness
so
poignantly,
she
ends
up
looking
significant
even
in
a
passive
part.
What’s
always
buzzing
on
screen
is
the
nimbly
choreographed
action
and
mythological
drama
enhanced
by
striking
production
design
and
impressive
VFX,
highlighting
the
battle
between
Tron
blues
and
Sith
reds
against
an
ensemble
of
actors
thrilled
to
realise
the
potential
of
Nag
Ashwin’s
ambition.
Bummer
then,
there’s
no
conclusion
in
sight.
Kalki
2898
AD’s
spectacle
set
in
a
timeline
far,
far
away
is
just
the
beginning
of
a
franchise
that’s
got
a
whole
lot
of
dramatic
confrontations,
spirited
battles
and
mythical
madness
on
its
mind.
Kalki
2898
AD
Review
Rediff
Rating:
