Sci-fi wonder, 3D thrill, Big B, yet Kalki falters on contrived plot

There is no doubt that director Nag Ashwin has raised the bar on Telugu cinema by making a new age science fiction thriller 'Kalki 2898 AD' and showcased his technical brilliance to stay ahead of his peers. But he has chosen a wafer-thin and contrived plot of saving a pregnant woman (Deepika) from being killed as she is expected to deliver a divine child. He invokes legendary mythology warriors like Aswadhama and Karna who wage a war against gadget-aided opponents who arrive from a dystopian city ruled by Yashkin(Kamal Hassan) who nurtures an evil dream. However, it is legendary Amitabh who hogs the limelight with his brooding anger and makes mincemeat of his opponents while protecting a pregnant woman. While Prabhas’s character falls secondary in those proceedings and he even has to take on Amitabh and loses. Prabhas plays a grey role and does anything for a bounty and it fails to connect with the audience until he turns around and joins forces with Big B. Usually, Prabhas has been a savior in his films like ‘Baahubali’ and ‘Salaar,’ but in this film, he dons a light-hearted role who dreams of relishing food at a palace in an elite complex and has no big motive. Hence, his larger-than-life image is toned down a bit and could disappoint his fans.

Another hallmark of the film is that thespian Kamal Hassan dons a negative role and runs a lab to inseminate his DNA into pregnant women for a special child, but most of the women die in the experiment. He is ruthless and doesn't repent. When Deepika gets pregnant and holds the infant for 150 days, she is tested but she escapes. Meanwhile, in the caves of Sambhala underneath Kashi, Aswadhama regains his diamond gem and powers and resolves to protect Deepika and her kid.

The narrative begins with tales of Aswadhama and Lord Krishna in mythology, moving into realms of Kashi and Shambala. The supreme being Yaskin and his army seized all the girls and extracted serum from fertile women. In the fictional city of Shambala, rebels plan an assault against Yashkin, atop the dystopian city of Kashi lies the elite Complex, accessible to Kashi’s residents through power unit payments. Bhairava(Prabhas), a bounty hunter, becomes entangled in the conflict between Aswadhamma ( Amitabh) and the Yashkin ( Kamal Hassan) army, setting the stage for the unfolding events.

Prabhas cracks a few jokes and punches down his opponents with ease. He even cracks jokes with RGV and Rajamouli who appear in cameo roles. He looks at ease until he finds his tough opponent Amitabh who has mystical powers. Amitabh as Aswadhama is alive after hundreds of years and vows to protect unborn infants since its blessed child. Amitabh does a big action role after a long, long time and impresses. Deepika has nothing much to do, while Kamal showcases traces of his acting brilliance in an evil role. Composer Santhosh Narayana comes with an effective background score but not chartbusters. Cinematographer Djordje Stojiljkovic captures breathtaking visuals and offers visual richness.

Director Nag Ashwin had a reason to cast big guns like Amitabh and Kamal to carry unthinkable roles and it paid off. However, he gives a positive tweak to tainted mythological characters like Aswadhama and Karna which is slightly a risky idea, although they are invincible warriors. Probably, he reserved bigger roles for Prabhas and Kamal in the sequel, if this movie strikes a chord with the masses.