'Kalki' review: A grand but dull affair where the only payoff is the face-off between Prabhas & AB

In the futuristic movie Kalki 2898 AD, there are elements of dystopian science fiction. The film is both costly and has a lengthy runtime. Kalki is so lengthy that it seems like you start watching it in one era and by the time it's over, time has passed into another era.

This sensation of spending what feels like forever watching Kalki is a mix of positive and negative emotions.

The blog post explains that Kalki has a weak first half but a slightly better second half. This means by the end of the movie, viewers may only remember the boring parts of the beginning and leave the theater feeling tired but overall thinking the film is not terrible.

The experience of watching a 44-year-old Prabhas attempt to be adorable for an hour and a half is not enjoyable. Seeing Disha Patani appear and vanish without reason is confusing. The film drags on with lengthy, uninteresting scenes that explain the film's premise and setting. It's tedious, makes you nod off, and feels like a waste of the large budget that was invested in producing it.

The plot may be straightforward, but it aims to be respected and unique, avoiding comparisons to Baahubali. The narrative, personalities, backgrounds, and outfits are intricate. Rather than seeing Hindu mythology in a traditional storyline, we see it in a futuristic Hollywood-style world.

The movie follows a new interpretation of the final chapter of Mahabharata, with a twist and a new ending for Ashwatthama, Dronacharya's son, who finds redemption and a resolution to Krishna's curse.

The appearance, characters, and clothing in the film are clearly influenced by iconic movies like Star Wars, Dune, Mad Max Fury Road, The Lord of The Rings, and Alien. Despite the clear inspiration, the detailed effort put into crafting Kalki's various worlds and settings is truly impressive. The result is a visually stunning and immersive world that captivates the audience, but ultimately fails to fully engage or entertain.

The issue is that this emotional story takes a while to build up momentum and suspense, so by the time the movie becomes thrilling, it's already time for the closing credits to appear.

Kalki begins in a digitalized version of the Kurukshetra battlefield. A virtual representation of Ashwatthama (played by Amitabh Bachchan) has fired the powerful Brahmastra at the pregnant Uttara in order to wipe out the descendants of the Pandavas.

Krishna becomes furious and curses Ashwatthama to wander the forests forever. Ashwatthama becomes upset and seeks a solution. No problem, says Krishna. When the world becomes very unpleasant in the future and people cry out for help from God, I will come back in a new form. You can make up for your mistakes by protecting me then. Okay, replies the digital version of Ashwatthama, who doesn't resemble Bachchan in appearance or speech.

An image captured from the movie 'Kalki'

After 6,000 years have passed, the world is now covered in dusty sand and all buildings resemble rundown garages where metal objects are slowly rusting away. People are constantly wearing bandages for unknown reasons and either reside in or are making their way to Kashi, the ancient city that is now the sole survivor.

The city is divided into two distinct areas - the upscale neighborhood known as Complex, and the rest of the city outside its gates. Complex resembles the exclusive gated communities found in Gurgaon, where entry is restricted to those who have enough wealth to satisfy the demands of the Complex's overseers and leaders.

The surroundings outside Complex exude a futuristic, post-apocalyptic vibe reminiscent of dystopian movies. Flying vehicles resembling makeshift creations made from spare parts pass by, while residents don multiple layers of tattered clothing, neglect their dental care, and sport facial tattoos. Throughout the city, intimidating figures clad in leather jackets complete with shoulder spikes seem to pop up unexpectedly, causing further disruptions.

Bhairava, a self-centered hunter for hire, is determined to get into Complex no matter what it takes. His plan is to capture anyone necessary to earn enough points to gain entry. Complex is the creation of Supreme Yaskin, a guru-like figure who owns and operates the place. He is seen sitting in a meditative pose above a sparkling indoor water feature. Supreme's personal area resembles a luxurious spa that brought to mind the extravagant interiors of Leela Hotel.

Supreme is weak and fragile, with cracks and openings on his head that give off light and pipes coming out of his body. He is in search of a special serum that can only be obtained from pregnant women. Unfortunately, during the extraction process, many women lose their lives. As a result, a large part of Complex is designated only for housing women, who are separated based on their reproductive abilities – those who can bear children wear white robes and receive First Class meals, while those who cannot wear black robes and are served rajma-chawal combo meals.

In a hidden location known as Shambhala, there is a clandestine group of rebels who reject the complicated and powerful aspects of society. They eagerly await the arrival of a divine being that Ma is said to give birth to, although they do not know who Ma truly is.

Ashwatthama, wrapped in bandages and feeling sorrowful without his bright third eye, resides in a decrepit underground temple, hoping for a manifestation of god's return.

Deepika Padukone, also known as SUM-80, is wearing a black dress and is pregnant. When she tries to escape, Ashwatthama steps in to protect her. Shambhala becomes thrilled, while Bhairava sees SUM-80 as his way into the Complex.

In Kalki, everything and everyone is a mystery, so the first part of the movie is focused on introducing the main characters and their circumstances. There are many unnecessary characters in flying vehicles, and we see unexciting video-game type battles with strange weapons. Bhairava, who resembles an auntie with a bun, takes up a lot of screen time being playful and telling unfunny jokes with his small robot.

Even though there are many scenes in the second half of the movie where characters are flying around, like Commander Manas saving the day on his flying saucer, and explosive balls are being thrown, Deepika shines brightly on screen. The film is brought to life by the intense fight scenes between the two main characters.

The scenes where Ashwatthama and Bhairava fight are amazing and entertaining. Prabhas, looking like a movie hero, is cheerful and amusing, while Bachchan, a mix of Gandolf and Bhishma Pitamah, is serious and formidable.

The showdown between Bachchan and Prabhas is when Kalki's intricate creativity in creating its numerous worlds really shines. This is when the movie truly comes to life. The rest of Kalki is just plain boring.

Check out Kalki 2898 AD to see the amazing chemistry between Prabhas and Bachchan, but be prepared to be patient during the first half.

Film: Kalki in the year 2898 AD

Artists: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Hassan, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Shobhana, Saswata Chatterjee, Brahmanandam