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The much-anticipated trailer of Nag Aswin's Kalki 2898 AD was launched on June 10, and it definitely was something. The scale of the visuals and the action we saw in the trailer was not something we are used to in Indian cinema, and that's something to be fawned over. Who expected Amitabh Bachchan to kick ass at the age of 81 and even steal the show? Who expected Kamal Haasan to turn into a talking point despite being in just one glimpse? Prabhas also feels more, how to put it, livelier here than some of his recent big screen appearances, while Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani also catch your attention with their characters. Kalki 2898 AD also stars Saswata Chatterjee, Brahmanandam, Pasupathy, Shobana, and Anna Ben. Kalki 2898 AD Trailer Reaction: Netizens Are Mighty Impressed With Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone’s Upcoming Sci-Fi, Call It ‘New Era of Indian Cinema’.
Our cinema industry (ies) is not used to making science fiction movies on this level, and therefore, we are betting quite a lot on Nag Aswin's talent to hope that the film also delivers on the same thrills as the trailer has been cut with the promises. But will Kalki 2898 AD manage to impress the rest of the world as SS Rajamouli's RRR did? That's a different matter altogether, and the answer lies in the trailer itself.
As much as we can fawn over the visual scale of what the trailer is promising, we can also see that Kalki 2898 AD struggles with its identity. There are quite a few strong influences from other sci-fi films made on this scale, that too from the West, that we can't just ignore. It is a little annoying that when some Indian filmmakers want to go huge with their movies, their formula is to add Indian mythology to a potpourri of Hollywood influences. See Brahmastra and Ganpath as evidence. Or, for the matter, Prabhas' own Saaho. Meanwhile, his Adipurush went the other way round - it added Hollywood influences to Indian mythos.
Watch the Trailer of Kalki 2898 AD, ICYMI:
The trailer of Kalki 2898 AD has quite a few heavy reference points that the fans were also ready to catch on. Going by most of the reactions, we can say that these seven films, or film franchises, played major influences in Kalki 2898 AD.
Star Wars
Let's start with the most obvious. The villains are clearly inspired by the Empire from George Lucas' sprawling franchise, with their black costumes, Hitler salute, and guns that fire lasers.
Not just that. Many are commenting that Kamal's look as the antagonist feels like a cross between his Senapati look from Indian and the patti look from Dasavtharam...
The skin texture also reminded us of Supreme Leader Snoke from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Mad Max
Some of the car chases through the desert landscapes veered in the same direction as George Miller's franchise. In fact, I would say it felt like Mad Max meets Transformers. Kalki 2898 AD: Anand Mahindra Reveals How 'Mahindra Research Valley' Played Crucial Role in Creating 'Bujji' For Nag Ashwin-Prabhas' Film!
Speaking of desert landscapes...
Dune
Sorry, but when it comes to setting science-fiction films in desert landscapes, the recent blockbuster franchise of Dune keeps coming to our minds.
Guardians of the Galaxy
It is time to talk about Prabhas' Bhairava. Is it us or does Prabhas's irascible protagonist remind you a lot of Chris Pratt's Star-Lord? He is shown to be quippy, a flirt and has his own ship. More so, there are also talks of using 'units' as form of currency in this world, which is also present in the GOTG movies..
Also this still from Kalki 2898 AD trailer...
It felt as if someone crossed Ego's planet from GOTG Vol II with Asgard from those Thor movies...
On a separate note from a fellow Marvel movie, does this giant dude...
... make you recall Arishem from Eternals?
Elysium
In the trailer it is established that there are two worlds, where the lower world is ravaged by poverty, tyranny and destitution, the upper world - which is more of a large spaceship - has hoarded all the major resources.
This feels like the plot of Elysium, the Neill Blomkamp 2013 film, which starred Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.
Lord of the Rings
Amitabh Bachchan plays the immortal Ashwattama in the film. According to Mahabharata, he is cursed by Lord Krishna to roam the Earth as this wounded soul whose emancipation will only happen once the Kaliyuga ends, and that will happen with the reign of Kalki, Vishnu's 10th avatar. Who Is Ashwatthama? Know All About Mahabharata Character Portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan in Kalki 2898 AD and Shahid Kapoor in Aswatthama: The Saga Continues!
While Amitabh Bachchan is kickass as the wield-shielding, tall protector of the unborn Kalki, his look also reminds us of Gandalf the Grey from the Lord of the Rings film.
Children of Men
From what we can guess, both Ashwattma (any bets he would die much earlier in the movie?) and Bhairava end up on a journey to protect Deepika's character who is carrying a child, who would be born as Kalki.
This reminded us of the premise of Alfonso Cuarón's brilliant dystopian sci-fi thriller Children of Men, which had Clive Owen's character tasked to safeguard a pregnant woman and take her from one destination to another because she is carrying the first child to be born in the planet for years.
Also on a side-note, some fans pointed out that Deepika is now getting stuck in a role where she gives birth to a hero. Like what she did in Brahmastra and Jawan. Hmmm...
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2024 10:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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