A mythical journey lost in visual grandeur, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ drops on OTT

MUMBAI — In a series of appreciation posts for the Imtiaz Ali directorial ‘Rockstar’ (2011), an anonymous user had commented, “Ranbir Kapoor was so good in the film that we didn’t realise Nargis Fakhri was not up to the mark.”

It is an interesting theory to test.

Can a single actor elevate an entire cast and storyline through the sheer force of their performance? The answer, it seems, is no.

Even Amitabh Bachchan’s remarkable portrayal of Ashwathama in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ couldn’t save the epic from becoming a severe letdown.

After minting record-breaking numbers at the box office, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ has now made its way to OTT platforms.

Directed by Nag Ashwin, the film unfortunately does not live up to its substantial pre-release hype. Ashwin undertakes the ambitious challenge of adapting a ‘Pauranik’ tale into a cinematic universe equipped with all the new jazz of the futurist world.

He ultimately succumbs to its weight. From fumbling storytelling to raw character development – he fails to deliver at multiple levels. The original epic is already intricate, yet the writer-director further complicates the narrative by incorporating characters from other religious mythologies, such as Maryam and Rumi, which only serves to alienate the audience from the core story.

Ironically, the one person tasked with protecting the future — Amitabh Bachchan — also ends up saving ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ from being a total disaster. The legendary actor shines in every frame. Watching him in the fight sequence is nothing less than inspiring. The drama places him as the last man alive since Mahabharata, and he seems to be the last of the brilliant performers of Hindi cinema.

Prabhas gives the most caricatured performance as Bhairva. It is such a shame that the screenplay doesn’t allow him to gain more depth as an incarnation of Karna. Deepika Padukone looks simply dull as the ‘Mother’ of God. It is high time the actress gives the audience a role to appreciate and remember. Kamal Haasan, though impressive, is underutilised, potentially setting the stage for a more significant role in the sequel.

‘Kalki 2898 AD’ is nothing but a spectacle to watch. The VFX and CGI are worth watching on the big screen. Be it the vision of Kashi, the utopian city Shambhala or the initial sequence of Mahabharata – the makers get it just right. These elements alone justify the film’s impressive box office success.

However, it is a concerning trend for Hindi cinema where content is being compromised at the cost of grand theatrical experiences like ‘Bharmastra’ or ‘RRR’, and now ‘[Kalki’.

The repetition of similar visual frames across different films also contributes to a growing sense of monotony.

Following the path of other larger-than-life Pan-India films, the epic drama also promises to return with its second instalment, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger. It remains to be seen how Nag Ashwin redeems himself with the sequel.

‘Kalki 2898 AD’ is available for streaming on Amazon Prime and Netflix.

(The writer is a film critic. Views expressed are personal)