Nag Ashwin's epic sci-fi actioner Kalki 2898 AD already has a stacked cast. Prabhas plays the main lead, while the movie also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, Disha Patani, Shobana, Pasupathy, Anna Ben, Brahmanandam, Rajendra Prasad, and Saswata Chatterjee, among others. To top that all, Kalki 2898 AD also has some cameos from popular celebs, including two directors. ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ Movie Review: Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan’s Sci-Fi Film Is Far From Perfect but Impresses With Nag Ashwin’s World-Building.

Now having star cameos is nothing new for director Nag Ashwin; even his previous movie Mahanati has popular stars appearing in brief roles. A day prior to the film's release, Nag Ashwin and Prabhas already leaked that Dulquer Salmaan and Vijay Deverakonda have cameos in Kalki 2898 AD. And there are more.

In this SPOILER-Filled feature, we look at these cameos and what they mean to the movie.

Mrunal Thakur

Mrunal Thakur is the first star to make a cameo in Kalki 2898 AD. She plays Divya, a pregnant woman who is being rescued by the rebels and who they think is carrying the unborn Kalki. However, she is revealed not to be the mother of the future god, and the poor woman is later shot dead by Manas (Saswata Chatterjee).

Ram Gopal Varma

The once hot-shot director appears in a comical brief scene as a shady dealer who sells an egg to Prabhas' Bhairava.

Dulquer Salmaan

Dulquer Salmaan plays 'Captain' who appears in Bhairava's flashback, who had saved the anti-hero as a child and took care of him, becoming his foster father and guardian. He teaches him the art of fighting, but Captain's gambling forces him to sell his son. A young Bhairava, instead, sells his foster father to the Complex, though his move leaves the Captain impressed. The thing about this cameo is that we don't know if Bhairava is real since Bhairava has a tendency to fabricate his origin stories, as Bhujji, Bhairava's talking car, reminds his listeners. ‘Kalki 2898 AD’: Did Makers Reveal Dulquer Salmaan’s Poster Before Film’s Release? No, Here’s the Truth!

SS Rajamouli

Baahubali director also makes a memorable appearance as a bounty hunter who chases after a runaway Sumathy (Deepika Padukone), while briefly bantering with Bhairava. Their conversation takes a riff on their real-life connection, taking digs at how Prabhas has spent five years for Baahubali movies. Rajamouli's character also warns Bhairava that he is going to trap him for 10 years next time.

Vijay Deverakonda

The young Telugu star makes a striking appearance in the Mahabharata scenes in the second half, appearing as the mighty war Arjuna. He is seen trying to kill Ashwatthama, but his attempt is thwarted by Karna, who Ashwatthama claims is a better warrior than Arjuna. BTW, Prabhas plays Karna as well.

Honourable Mention

Jathi Ratnalu's director, KV Anudeep, and the film's lead heroine, Faria Abdullah, appear in small parts in the Complex's ballroom scene. Even music composer Santosh Narayanan had a blink-n-miss appearance in the same scene.

So which of these cameos is your favourite? Share your thoughts and preferences in the comments section below.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2024 06:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).