Kalki 2898 AD Review: Big B Powers Mythic Extravaganza

Ashley Suvarna (Instagram | Twitter)

Indian mythology is a pretty hot topic right now. It’s not like Indian cinema or television has had any shortage of tales about gods and kings. But thanks to recent films like Bahubali and Tumbbad that got noticed internationally, coupled with the rising Indic sentiment, filmmakers have probably realised that there’s once again a huge demand for such stories. And everyone wants a piece of it. No wonder in the last couple of years, I’ve noticed more shows being made, books being written, and film projects being planned that either cover one of the numerous religious stories and texts from ancient India, or at least borrow inspiration from them. Kartikeya, Adipurush, Hanu-Man, Brahmastra… the list is quite decent.

But here’s the thing – Indian mythological texts don’t just cover ancient times, but also contain tidings of what is to be. Think of Ragnarok in the Norse myths and the constant cycle of death and rebirth the universe must go through. India has something similar, just far more fleshed out. And this is where the theme of Kalki 2898 AD stands out from the rest – it’s based not in the past, but on the future.

For context, according to Hindu texts, every cycle of existence is divided into four Yugas or eras, and we are currently in the Kaliyuga, the final era that is defined by sin and decay. The plot of the movie is loosely based around the story of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu who is slated to appear at the very end of the cycle. Kalki’s goal would be to vanquish the demon Kali who represents all the vices of mankind, and bring about the end of Kaliyuga, starting the cycle anew. The movie begins with a neat VFX sequence depicting the battlefield at the end of the Mahabharata war, where the warrior Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) commits a grave sin and is cursed by Lord Krishna with immortality, albeit a painful one. To redeem himself, he would have to wait out the entire Kaliyuga and eventually protect the womb from which Kalki shall be born.

Fast forward to 2898, The world has turned into a dump as predicted, a wasteland with a single dusty city still standing. Living for the average person is all about desolation,poverty, wardrobes that look like they were borrowed from the sets of Dune, and cool gadgets that look like they were borrowed from Riddick. Most of the water has been stolen and taken to the Complex, a towering structure shaped like an inverted pyramid, which we’re told is a haven overflowing with food, drinks, and luxury that is so costly to enter, you might have to sell your kidneys, your neighbour’s kidneys, maybe even your spare Lamborghini. And probably still fall short.

The plot begins within this city, where the story introduces us to a secret society of rebels whose members lurk around from settlement to settlement, hiding from bounty hunters and Complex soldiers while looking for a pregnant woman who they believe contains their sacred god. The stage is set, the pieces are in place, and so far it looks promising. Except, the next hour or so is little more than a borefest. The movie suffers from major pacing issues in the first half. The story does build up slowly, adding more layers and characters, but I think it’s a tad slower than it should be.

Inside the Complex, there’s a secret mass experiment going on called Project K, which sounds important and all, but we never actually get any hints or explanation as to what it is. Then there’s Yaskin (Kamal Haasan), the big baddie who reminds me of Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid and whose identity is even more mysterious than the project he’s running. But I think what really drives the point home is Prabhas’ character Bhairava having one of the most lacklustre, dragged out intro sequences I’ve ever seen. And why the heck was Disha Patani even there? Her presence is as inconsequential to the movie as Tamannah Bhatia’s in Bahubali 2. The makers could have easily trimmed off around twenty minutes of footage from the entire first half, and it would have worked out just fine.

The good news is, the film picks up immediately after the interval. Sumati (Deepika Padukone) has escaped the labs and found herself with the rebels, who waste no time taking her to their hidden base Shambhala. Both Bhairava and the newly rejuvenated Ashwatthama want in ont he action, Bhairava so he can hand her to Yaskin’s right hand man Manas for a lot of moolah, and Ashwatthama so he can protect her. This tussle is what makes up the crux of the story, Ashwatthama’s power and ferocity matched only by Bhairava’s determination.

Which reminds me, Amitabh as Ashwatthama is probably the star of the movie. The man is a complete powerhouse in terms of acting. But what surprised me was how well he managed to pull off those intense action sequences despite being around eighty years old. I think his character design is one of the best creative decisions the team has made. He is an ancient being, from a time when demigods and divine powers freely walked the earth, some of whom he has fought with on equal footing. Depicting him as a10 feet tall behemoth in the present only serves to highlight his persona and the true scale of the era he belongs to. Sumati is your typical damsel in distress, an expendable lab asset, a nobody who suddenly finds herself becoming the centre of the universe.

Bhairava, on the other hand, is a somewhat complicated man. He’s both the antihero and the comic relief. Not evil, but not averse to doing bad stuff either. The movie makes you both like him and despise him, although I’m not too sure if this was entirely intentional. Because if it is, I would call it either a stroke of genius, or the most confused character writing of the lot. Saswata Chatterjee as Commander Manas is a little under-utilised, although his character is more colourful than one might imagine at first. Unlike the character of Counselor Bani (Yaskin’s left hand man?) who always has the same grim, wisdom-filled expression, Manas gives off the aura of ruthlessness and malice one moment, then drops a humorous little quip in the next scene in a manner that doesn’t take away from his overall nature. Coupled with his mannerisms and clothing, he almost feels like a 90s Mogambo style villain stuck in the wrong universe.

But I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t mention Bujji, whose name sounds oddly like ‘buggy’. Again, I don’t know if that was intentional. Bhairava’s vehicle cum AI companion was featured very prominently in the movie’s promo campaign. Although Bujji (voiced by Keerthi Suresh) doesn’t have a lot of screen time, her part skeptic, part pessimist personality lends a certain lighthearted tone to certain scenes. However, if you are even somewhat familiar with Western movies, Bujji may look like she has nothing unique to offer. To be honest, the moment I first saw the bobble-head looking thing that serves as Bujji’s face, I couldn’t help but connect it to Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhiker’s Guide. At this point I’m already so convinced that half of the things in this film are direct inspirations from other franchises, even Bhairava’s Bujji… sorry, buggy feels like the Dark Knight Batmobile to me.

But despite its numerous issues, the movie has plenty of stuff that deserves to be appreciated. For example, the visual effects. There were a lot of instances where even a slight neglect could have easily made everything look tacky and fake, but the VFX department did a pretty stellar job of it. The later story, while cliched in places, also makes up for the slow runtime of the earlier half. There were times when I predicted a certain twist and found myself pleasantly surprised at being proven wrong. But nothing could have prepared me for the climax, and unless the internet has already spoiled it for you, maybe you won’t find yourself somewhat shocked too. The movie does drop certain hints along the way that foreshadow the end, but every time, it draws your attention somewhere else before you have time to think about it. I believe that’s one of the hallmarks of a story that’s been given plenty of care and thought.

I can forgive Kalki for ending on a cliffhanger considering it’s only the first movie in the franchise. Maybe there’s plenty of story elements in it that don’t make sense now, but probably will in subsequent films. In that sense, it’s best to think of Kalki 2898 AD as a setup for even greater events. Nag Ashwin definitely has a lot to learn from the downsides of this movie, from the forced emotions and unnecessary jokes, to the hybrid Hinglish dialogues peppered all over. Come to think of it, if Kalki was instead marketed as a 6-episode series, the pacing would have made so much more sense.But all in all, Kalki is a very ambitious movie that proves it has the guts to match the vision. A strong contender that lays the foundation for this mythological scifi genre in Indian cinema. It’s not perfect by any means, but if the filmmakers evolve their storytelling skills and manage to somehow iron out its kinks, the Kalki universe could potentially be a game changer. Not just here, but internationally.

Rating: 7.5 on 10. Kalki 2898 AD is now on Netflix and Prime Video.

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