Kalki 2898 AD is an Indian science fiction film that features a dystopian world. Directed by Nag Ashwin, it is a post-apocalyptic film inspired by Hindu scriptures and set in 2898 AD. The film features an ensemble cast including Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Disha Patani. It is produced by Vyjayanthi Movies.
Plot:
The movie is set in a dystopian future and revolves around themes of mythology and futuristic technology. The story intertwines elements of ancient Indian mythology with a futuristic world, drawing inspiration from the story of Kalki, the prophesied tenth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is expected to appear to end the Kali Yuga (the dark age) and restore righteousness.
Ashwatthama's Curse and Redemption
In 3102 BC, after the devastating Kurukshetra War, Ashwatthama, in a fit of vengeance, uses the destructive Brahmashirastra to attack Uttarā's unborn child.
For this unforgivable act, Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, curses him to wander the earth eternally, witnessing humanity's decline during the dark age of Kali Yuga. Stripped of his divine gem, Ashwatthama's redemption lies in protecting the mother of Vishnu's future avatar, Kalki, who is destined to end the Kali Yuga and restore righteousness.
Kasi's Dystopian Future
Fast forward to 2898 AD, six thousand years after the Kurukshetra War, the world has turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The desertified city of Kasi is the last known bastion of civilization, ruled by the tyrannical Supreme Yaskin from the "Complex," a colossal inverted pyramid hovering above the city.
This totalitarian god-king exploits Earth's resources to maintain a luxurious paradise for the wealthy, enforcing his rule through Commander Manas, Counsellor Bani, and the relentless Raiders. They vigilantly guard against any threat, especially the prophesied return of Kalki.
In this grim society, fertile women in Kasi are forcibly taken to the Complex for Project K, an experiment to create a life-extending serum for the 200-year-old Yaskin. However, no woman survives past 120 days of pregnancy, leading to their deaths. Raia, a young girl disguised as a boy, narrowly escapes this fate with the help of rebels led by Rumi from the hidden city of Shambhala. Tragically, Rumi and Divya, a pregnant woman believed to be carrying Kalki, are captured and executed for protecting Shambhala's location. Manas sets a bounty on the rebels, forcing Raia into hiding.
The Quest for Kalki
Raia finds refuge in a cave, where she encounters Ashwatthama and unknowingly returns his divine gem, Shivamani, which the Shambhala rebels had passed among themselves. Together, they embark on a journey to find the real mother of Kalki.
SUM-80, a Project K subject hiding her 150-day pregnancy, is discovered and captured. Manas extracts a single drop of serum from her fetus before Lilly, a Shambhala rebel posing as a Project K subject, intervenes. Lilly helps SUM-80 escape, though she sacrifices herself to hold off the Raiders. SUM-80, now named Sumathi by the rebels, is taken by Veeran, Kyra, and Ajju. During their journey to Shambhala, they are ambushed by bounty hunters and Raiders, and Kyra is killed.
The Battle for Shambhala
Bhairava, a bounty hunter seeking the bounty on Sumathi, remains in pursuit with his AI supercar, Bujji. Ashwatthama learns that Sumathi's unborn child is Kalki. Despite Bhairava's efforts, Ashwatthama subdues him, and the group reaches Shambhala, where the tree of life blooms in Kalki's presence. Bhairava, deceiving a rebel named Luke and using hologram technology to impersonate Ashwatthama, convinces Sumathi to flee. However, they are intercepted by the real Ashwatthama.
A fierce battle ensues as Manas and the Raiders breach Shambhala's defenses. Mariam, Shambhala's leader, is killed after slashing Manas' face. Manas chains Ashwatthama, and Bhairava, who now wields Karna's bow, the Vijaya Dhanush, defends Sumathi and Ashwatthama from the Raiders. Bhairava uses the bow to kill Manas and rescue Sumathi. However, Bujji's distraction allows Bhairava to revert to his former self and take Sumathi away.
The Final Confrontation
Back at the Complex, Yaskin, informed of Manas's failure, uses the extracted serum to transform into a younger superhuman. With Arjuna's bow, Gandiva, in hand, he vows to personally capture Sumathi and her child, intending to reshape the world according to his vision.
Kalki 2898 AD box office
The science fiction epic Kalki 2898 AD continues to dominate at the box office, sustaining its success two weeks post-release. On the 14th day, the film grossed ₹ 7.5 crore in India, bringing its total domestic earnings to ₹ 536.75 crore, according to Sacnilk. Vyjayanthi Films, the production house, announced that the film surpassed ₹ 900 crore globally on its 11th day. With these impressive numbers, Kalki 2898 AD has outperformed Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, which earned ₹ 915 crore worldwide in 2023.
Kalki 2898 AD now stands as the second-highest grosser for its star Prabhas, trailing only SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2, which amassed over ₹ 1788 crore globally in 2017. Furthermore, it has become the highest-grossing film for veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan.
Although the film saw a significant drop of over 75% in earnings on its second Monday, bringing in ₹ 10.4 crore, it has continued to achieve steady single-digit collections. From Tuesday to Wednesday, the drop in earnings was around 14%, as reported by Sacnilk.
Initially, the majority of Kalki 2898 AD's revenue came from its Telugu version, but the focus has since shifted to the Hindi market. On its 14th day, the Hindi version brought in ₹ 4.75 crore, while the Telugu version earned ₹ 1.7 crore. The Hindi version has accumulated ₹ 229.05 crore, and the Telugu version stands at ₹ 252.1 crore. On Wednesday, the film saw a Hindi occupancy rate of 13.81% and a Telugu occupancy rate of 18.6%.
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Production
Cast: Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Disha Patani