Kalki 2898 AD review: Amitabh's angry old man towers over Prabhas in brave but dragged-out marriage of mythology, sci-fi

Director: Nag Ashwin

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone,

Where to watch: Theatres

Rating: 3.5 stars

At 180 minutes, Kalki 2898 AD is one of the longer films of the year. In a story that traverses 6000 years, one might excuse this lengthy runtime, given that director Nag Ashwin had to pack in a lot of world building, character back stories, action, and sadly some song and dance. But even after discounting for that, the runtime does begin to chafe at you after a while. The saving grace is the impeccable world-building, stunning visuals, and Amitabh Bachchan turning back the clock in a fierce angry old man avatar.

Kalki 2898 AD is one of the most ambitious films in Indian cinema history. The fact that this story has been brought to screen in this manner on this scale should be a cause of celebration alone. But the journey from idea to execution is always a perilous one. Many films have faltered and perished on that path (remember Adipurush or Ra.One?). But Kalki manages to hold its footing. It stumbles and trips but never falls. Director Nag Ashwin stays true to his convictions and manages to entertain, even if he does it all for 30 minutes longer than I’d have cared for.

Set in the year 2898 as the title suggests, Kalki is the story of Kashi, the last city left on a waterless Earth where even Ganga has dried up. The luxuries and greeneries of the world exist in the Complex, an inverted pyramid structure suspended in the sky, ruled by a 200-year-old tyrant called Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan channelling Snoke). As signs begin to point at the arrival of the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu – the fabled Kalki – Sum-80 (Deepika Padukone), a human experiment in the Complex must save her life and the life of her miraculous unborn child. Aiding her is the immortal Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan). But there is a wild card thrown in the bunch: Kashi resident, the ambitious bounty hunter Bhairava (Prabhas), whose loyalties lie only with money and himself.

The first half of Kalki is dragged out because it takes too much time in setting the world and all its aspects. The director makes the grave error of not being able to decide what he is making – a dystopian film based on elements of Mahabharata or a superhero film featuring Prabhas. Call it the demands of fans (or economics) but Ashwin dwells far too long on Bhairava, his eccentricities, his specialised car Bujji (Keerthy Suresh brings that vehicle to life), and even his love interest (Disha Patani). But all that while, I would rather watch what is happening inside the Complex.

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Indeed, the film kicks into gear only when Sum-80 and Ashwatthama meet and Bhairava collides with them. The chase, the action, the politics, and the history of their actions is what makes Kalki great, and not the dialoguebaazi or quips from our hero. But then, we all know it is those lines that will draw whistles from the audiences.

It has been billed as a Prabhas film but Kalki 2898 AD belongs to Amitabh Bachchan. This film will show a whole new generation why this man ruled the cinema screens for two decades. His ferocity, depth, and feral brutishness jumps on the screen. As Ashwatthama longing for his penance, the veteran actor embodies this unstoppable force. He is 8-feet tall on the screen and casts an even larger shadow. For many parts, Bachchan carries the film on his shoulder, forcing the viewer out of their stupor (which is caused by needless segues in narration). But Prabhas isn’t far behind. He is to a lot of fans today what Amitabh Bachchan was 40 years ago. Many have lamented that they haven’t seen the vintage Prabhas since Baahubali. In Kalki, he shows shades of it. Many a times, we see the old twinkle in the eye and the phenomenal screen presence that made him a darling of the masses in the first place.

Deepika Padukone is earnest and eases on to the screen even if the script gives her very little to do. Her role is the centrepiece of Kalki but her screen time is limited. Despite that, the actress does deliver. Kamal Haasan is in just a couple of scenes, similar to how Fahadh Faasil was in Pushpa 1. We are introduced to the menacing villain as a tease. But it would be too soon to say anything on his performance, barring that his voice does send a chill down one’s spine. The real surprise factor (apart from all the starry cameos) is Saswata Chatterjee. Well, his performance would not be a surprise to anyone who has seen his work before. But the sheer screen time he gets is applaudable. As the Complex’s military commander Manas, he personifies menace, brutality, and a nonchalance form of evil. And Chatterjee does it with ease and panache.

The letdowns are a few. While the VFX and CGI are top notch in most places, the flashback scenes from the Mahabharata leave something desired. Amitabh’s de-aged look, in particular, is off-putting, even if otherwise the makers have managed to do more justice to the Kurukshetra War than any film before it. The film also goes over-the-top with too many leaps of logic. Characters find convenient escape routes, can get anywhere, and the most barbaric experiments in the Complex take place in front of all prisoners and detainees. Yes, this is a film from the 29^th century so I wasn’t looking for 21^st century logic. What I would have liked is consistent logic and that the makers hadn’t abandoned common sense in some parts. The fight scenes, too, rely on a lot of cable work, and lack the finesse of the rest of the setting.

But Kalki is more than just the visuals. Nag Ashwin’s beautiful marriage of mythology, dystopia, science-fiction, and world-building is what sets it apart from other films. Even before release, it has been compared to everything from Dune to Star Wars, but the truth is that it is very much an original tale. There may be influences from various sources, both visual and thematic, but Kalki has an identity that is as Indian as the stars in it. It is a brave film that deserves its day in the sun despite its flaws.

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