Kalki 2898AD: Dissipation Enigma

Star Cast: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Shobana,Disha Patani, Rajendra Prasad, Saswata Chatterjee and Brahmanandam
Edited by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Cinematography by Djordje Stojiljkovic
Music Composed by Santhosh Narayanan
Directed by Nag Ashwin 

Extreme Spoilers Ahead 

EXT. Mahabharata period DAY 

“अश्वत्थमा अथः कुञ्जरः!!” (Aswatthama Athah Kunjarah)

One lie can distort countless lives. The line above embodies that lie, one that led to the demise of the Upapandavas and even put Parikshit in jeopardy. Betrayed by the Pandavas, Ashwatthama vowed to eradicate their lineage from the face of the earth. However, he remains incapable of wielding a sword against formidable opponents like Arjuna, Bhima, and Dharmaraja. Despite occasional challenges, his indomitable defeats serve as a stark reflection of his limitations. Driven solely by the stubborn ambition to avenge his father’s death, he discards every vestige of humanity within him.

:SUDDEN CUT TO:

INT. Present Day – Reader’s Room [Day/Night] 

The reader (of this review), starts to wonder why this author always goes deep into mythological connections behind every film.

“Why does he need to be so very religious?”

Now, the author/reviewer/opinionated person has written the answer for reader’s discretion.

Imagine the reader – you, standing in front of the mirror. Shed all the inhibitions like a kid and put on a superhero mask. What would be your choice? 7 out of 10 Indians would identify with Mythological Superheroes of Indian origins. Did you ever not think about being Lord Krishna or Arjuna or Lord Rama or Karna or Hanuman from the popular stories, enacting their chivalry? That’s the connection we hold with such stories leading to my parallactic conclusions.

Reader – “Fine. Continue with stating your opinion.”

:CUT TO:

INT. KALKI 2898 AD Screening Day 

Conveniently, an old believer in the myth of Kalki’s arrival arrives in Kashi without any disguise. His sole purpose is to provide an exposition about Shambala, the Complex, and Kashi, while introducing Supreme Yaskin. However, a question arises: Why does the old man [Rajendra Prasad] suddenly go to Kashi? After all, he had been content waiting in Shambala for so long. Unless, of course, we needed someone to explain everything. Yes, he saw the star, but couldn’t he have found the greatest believer among the many to trust and send out Aswatthama’s jewel?

Screenplays should either embrace happy coincidences or meticulously establish characters, the world, and conflicts using the “logic of the created world.” The random appearance of the old man seems more like a plot necessity than a natural occurrence. There are numerous such faulty conveniences and random scenes that explain the plot but fail to fully engage the audience.

:FADE TO:

EXT. Mahabharata Period [Night] 

In a real incident described by Sage Veda Vyasa:

Ashwatthama anticipates nothing less than death for his actions. Prepared to face the wrath of Lord Krishna and the Pandavas, Arjuna readies himself to kill Ashwatthama. However, Draupadi intervenes, urging Arjuna to try and teach their guru Dronacharya’s son a lesson rather than taking his life. She believes that patience and forgiveness would promote peace after all the destruction.

Krishna then explains to the entire Pandava clan that Ashwatthama is immortal due to his father’s undying love. Dronacharya had conducted a penance to earn a boon from Lord Shiva for his weak, meek, and unhealthy son, driven by poverty. Lord Shiva granted him a jewel, declaring that as long as it remained on Ashwatthama’s head, he would never suffer. However, Krishna himself shatters the jewel using the Sudarshan Chakra, cursing Ashwatthama to wander the earth with festering wounds, blood boils, and perpetual ill health, without anyone to care for him.

Ashwatthama pleads for forgiveness from Krishna, who reveals that when the time is right and Ashwatthama can identify his next avatar, Kalki, in the Kali Yuga, he will be freed from his curse.

Movie version:

After Krishna curses him, Ashwatthama seeks redemption [prayashchitam] without displaying any remorse or regret on his face. In response, Krishna assigns him a redemptive task: to become the savior of Sumathi, the mother of Kali Yuga, during her pregnancy. This act serves as atonement for the sin Ashwatthama committed by attempting to kill an unborn child in a pregnant woman’s womb.

Loved this diversion from the original but wanted a better exchange and scene with Amitabh Bachchan kind of an actor playing Ashwatthama. That one line exchange did not suffice in conveying emotions. The film is haunted by such ideologically high moments being reduced to simple & ineffective scenes or moments in the film.

:CUT TO:

EXT. Dulquer Salmaan’s cameo [Random Shots] 

Before delving into Prabhas’s character, let’s consider the necessity of the random flashback to Bhairava. While it’s true that Telugu Cinema often elevates its heroes to god-like status, the question remains: Is this uncharacteristically illogical flashback essential to portray Prabhas as selfish?

The attempt from Director:

[Already Spoiler alert is given, still don’t read this portion if you don’t know or care to know on screen, only]

As he fashioned and modeled his hero Bhairava after Karna, he aimed to draw parallels with the original Karna’s life.

:CUT TO:

INT. Bhairava’s lifelong dream [Day/Night] 

Let’s discuss about Karna in Mahabharata briefly:

Karna, despite being born to a princess, grows up in a socially and economically poor family. As a prince, he yearns to become a king and be celebrated for his valor, abilities, and qualities. However, despite his greatness, he faces disdain and insults. His association with Duryodhana grants him everything he ever desired, yet he strives to establish fame and recognition beyond the confines of that friend label. Becoming a philanthropist and committing sins against the Pandavas, he walks a complex path.

Krishna offers Karna one last chance at redemption by accepting his mother’s proposal and severing ties with Duryodhana. Meanwhile, Karna’s father, Surya Bhavagan, advises him to be selfish and retain his naturally formed Kavacha Kundalas, refusing to donate them to Indra, before Mahabharata.

Now, let’s recollect Bhairava from Kalki 2898 AD:

Despite being the best bounty hunter, he never attains everything he desires. People around him continue to insult him, while the rebels seek his allegiance. By foxing Roxy [Disha Patani], he gains a taste of life within the Complex, a creation of Kali, akin to Duryodhana in their previous birth. Although he tricks the young Rebel, he glimpses what he could truly become. I think you got the parallels between the real and the adaptation by the director. Still, I will state them out briefly.

The parallel connections by director:

Bhairava, despite his valor, is perpetually insulted. He consistently finds himself among the “elite class” in Complex rather than among the “poor class” in Kashi. Undeterred by his shortcomings, he remains resolute. Bhairava is the only warrior, apart from Lord Shiva and Parasurama, who can wield the Vijaya bow and contend against Gandeeva. Yet, he remains enticed by Kali and material wealth. His foster father imparts the lesson of selfishness in life.

:FADE TO BLACK:

EXT. SUM-80’s Escape [Day/Night] 

In Sum-80, Sumathi, treated as a lab rat, yearns for human connection. The director’s intention is to foster her bond with the rebels and help her grasp the mission statement. However, this portrayal comes across as Anna Ben trying too hard to showcase the futuristic technology developed by the rebels at Shambala. The drag in the action sequence diminishes the impact that the supposed stretch needed to deliver for audiences. Sumathi accepts the name given by Anna Ben but remains unconvinced about the mission. Additionally, the sequence becomes draggy because, during the interval, we witnessed Vasudeva’s walk through the Yamuna reversal, followed by Sumathi’s walk through fire. Having experienced such divine intervention already, viewers might have expected a similar occurrence rather than what transpired.

:CUT TO:

EXT. Mahabharata/ Kalki Conclusion [Day/ Night] 

The exceptional Kamal Haasan transforms into the true celestial being he should be, embodying Kali. From a depleted and barely surviving human, he ascends to the status of Kali. While this scene establishes significant conflict between Karna and the celestial entity, it raises an intriguing question: When Kashi’s primary protector is Kaala Bhairava, who is already a form of Shiva, why not make the hero Shiva himself? In many epics, Shiva aids Vishnu, and that straightforward connection would suffice. Moreover, Shiva is capable of wielding the Vijaya bow, and if he does, it would be even more effective. So, why Karna? Perhaps we’ll find out in the second part.

INT. Review Conclusion [Random] 

Why so many cameos? Nag Ashwin realized that the screenplay doesn’t contain much substance for this part, so he filled it with “theatre moments”. As a result, we see SS Rajamouli, Ram Gopal Varma, Anudeep KV, Dulquer, Vijay Deverakonda and Faria Abdullah briefly appearing on screen. The writing for these cameos feels like a crowd-pleaser, designed to elicit applause and whistles. However, the major issue lies in sacrificing the bigger vision by inserting lengthy scenes. The same film could be concluded in two hours without losing any detail or character arcs. Kalki 2898 AD primarily belongs to Ashwatthama, who redeems himself by saving Kalki’s mother and passing the baton to Karna. Yet, the writing for Kaala Bhairava and Karna lacks maturity, relying on occasional comedy rather than substantial sequences. The class divide between Kashi and Complex feels implausible, especially when Complex also has a sea. Unfortunately, the science elements remain unexplained. Random scenes with Prabhas fail to engage the audience effectively. While the VFX in the Mahabharata portions shines, other areas suffer from the weight of excessive CGI. Music-wise, Santhosh Narayanan gets carried away with afro beats, composing various themes for each sequence, which becomes more random than scene-appropriate.

For now, Kalki 2898 AD feels like an attempt to soar like Hanuman, driven by youthful enthusiasm but lacking a full understanding of consequences. Will the box office gods strike like Indra or save it despite considerable challenges, akin to Varuna Deva? Whatever the course, let’s hope the second part learns from this experience and corrects its trajectory.

:CUT TO CREDITS:

:POST CREDIT:

Nag Ashwin, the interdimensional cinematic alchemist, roamed the multiverse, snatching bits of inspiration to stitch together the film’s cosmic fabric. Works like Star Wars (1977), Total Recall (1990), Game of Thrones (2011–2019), Alita: Battle Angel (2019), Blade Runner (1982), Dune (1984), Uncharted, The Mandalorian (2019–present), Foundation (2021–present), Mad Max (1979), Black Panther (2018), Elysium (2013) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) influenced his vision.

Also Read: Nag Ashwin’s Mahanati (2018) Review

Theatrical Trailer:

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