Kalki 2898 AD (2024) is one the most anticipated Indian films of the year, blending mythological, science-fiction, dystopian and action elements. Directed by Nag Ashwin and starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone, this Telugu-language film was released on 27 June 2024. 0
Movie Overview
Kalki 2898 AD is an ambitious, big-budget Indian sci-fi epic that reimagines Hindu mythic motifs inside a far-future dystopia. The story follows a group tasked with protecting SUM-80 and an unborn child prophesied to become Kalki — mixing ethical questions about immortality and technology with blockbuster action, world-building and high-end visual effects. The film launched as the first instalment of a planned Kalki cinematic universe and was marketed in multiple languages and global formats (including IMAX and 3D). 1
Attribute Details
| Title | Kalki 2898 AD |
| Genre | Mythological • Science fiction • Dystopian • Action • Epic |
| Language | Telugu (released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English) |
| Release Date | 27 June 2024 (worldwide theatrical release). |
| Director | Nag Ashwin |
| Writers | Nag Ashwin (co-written with Rutham Samar, Sai Madhav Burra and B. S. Sarawagna Kumar) |
| Producer | C. Aswani Dutt (Vyjayanthi Movies) |
| Music | Santhosh Narayanan |
| Cinematography | Djordje Stojiljkovic |
| Runtime | Approx. 181 minutes (theatrical) |
Key production and release details above are drawn from official listings and reporting on the film’s launch and global rollout. 2
Plot (Concise)
Set in the year 2898 AD, Earth has been reduced to desperate enclaves and a single surviving city called Kasi. The film opens with mythic backstory threads (including immortal characters tied to ancient curses) and moves forward to follow Bhairava (Prabhas), a mercenary, as he becomes embroiled in a clandestine mission: to protect SUM-80 (a laboratory subject) and the unborn child believed to be the incarnation of Kalki, the prophesied avatar. The mission entangles them with powerful forces — political, corporate and metaphysical — that seek to control the future. The film deliberately mixes high-concept sci-fi stakes with mythological resonance, creating an ongoing saga setup that points toward sequels. 3
Main Cast & Characters
- Prabhas as Bhairava (lead protagonist / mercenary)
- Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama (an ageless, mythic figure central to the backstory)
- Kamal Haasan in a major role (key supporting/antagonistic presence)
- Deepika Padukone (prominent role tied closely to the central mission)
- Disha Patani and other ensemble members round out the multinational cast
The casting intentionally spans multiple Indian film industries — a hallmark of recent “pan-Indian” blockbusters — allowing the film to target audiences across linguistic markets. 4
Production, VFX & Design
Kalki 2898 AD was produced at very high scale — reported budgets put it among the most expensive Indian films ever made. The production combined large practical sets (Ramoji Film City), custom-built futuristic vehicles, and extensive visual effects handled by international houses such as DNEG and The Embassy Visual Effects. The filmmakers created three distinct visual worlds (Kasi, Shambhala and the Complex) and used hundreds of VFX shots to realize the film’s Indofuturist design language. That technical investment fuels the film’s spectacle and is a major part of its appeal. 5
Music & Soundtrack
Composer Santhosh Narayanan produced the film’s score and songs, with singles like “Bhairava Anthem” and “Theme of Kalki” released ahead of the film to build audience excitement. The soundtrack was released on streaming platforms and tailored to match the film’s epic-scale tone — mixing traditional motifs with modern orchestration and electronic textures to mirror the mytho-sci-fi world onscreen. 6
Release Strategy & Formats
The film premiered widely on 27 June 2024 across India and international territories, with distribution across Telugu and dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English. It was made available in IMAX and 3D screenings to exploit the film’s visual spectacle, and pre-bookings—especially in the U.S. and U.K.—were reported as strong ahead of the opening weekend. 7
Reception & Box Office
Critics and audiences largely praised Kalki 2898 AD for its visual ambition, production design and scale, while some reviews noted narrative unevenness and the film’s clear role as “Part 1” of a larger saga. The Guardian described the film as a maximalist sci-fi epic that mixes Indian myth with Mad-Max style action, highlighting the film’s distinctive visual aesthetic even as it pointed to structural issues. 8
On the commercial side, early box-office reporting credited the film with one of the strongest openings of 2024 for an Indian title, with rapid worldwide grosses and multiple box-office records for a Telugu film. Reported worldwide gross figures varied by outlet, but credible box office tallies placed the film’s global take in the high hundreds of crores (₹) within its first weeks — a performance that underscored the film’s mass appeal and pan-Indian marketing. 9
Why Kalki 2898 AD Matters
Kalki 2898 AD represents multiple current trends in Indian cinema: large-scale “pan-Indian” productions that unify major stars across industries; mythological repurposing in modern genre forms; and the use of global VFX studios to raise technical bar for local filmmaking. For viewers interested in world-building, visual spectacle, or mythic reinterpretation, the film offers a fresh, ambitious experience — even if its story choices deliberately set up further instalments. 10
SEO Tips (for bloggers / news sites writing about the film)
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- Use long-tail phrases in subheadings: e.g., “Is Kalki 2898 AD worth watching in IMAX?” or “Kalki 2898 AD explained: mythology meets sci-fi”.
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- Embed official trailers and poster images with descriptive alt text (example: “Kalki 2898 AD official poster — Prabhas and ensemble against dystopian skyline”).
Further Reading & Sources
- IMDb — Kalki 2898 AD (cast & credits). 11
- Wikipedia — Kalki 2898 AD (production, release, box office summary). 12
- Release info and regional rollout details — IMDb release notes. 13
- Initial critical coverage (example review) — The Guardian. 14
- Poster & promotional images / coverage — Bollywood Hungama and trade sites.
Note: this article follows the requested structure and uses verified public sources for cast, crew, release and box office information. If you want a version localized for Hindi, Tamil or Malayalam audiences, or a separate short SEO snippet/meta description for your webpage, tell me which language and target keywords and I’ll produce it in the same format.
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