Kalki 2898 AD: Storyline of Prabhas-Kamal Haasan's epic revealed. Begins in Mahabharata, ends 6000 years later

Filmmaker Nag Ashwin is helming a star-studded blockbuster, which can be described as one of the most ambitious films ever created on Indian celluloid, titled Kalki 2898 AD . The project is a unique blend of stories inspired by the Indian epic Mahabharata set against a futuristic backdrop, presenting the challenges of world-building on an unprecedented scale.

Kalki 2898 AD promises a cinematic spectacle

Speaking at an event, Nag Ashwin reflected on the challenges faced during pre-production, expressing a desire for more advanced technology a few years back. "I wish there were more tech to help us make this film 3 or 4 years ago. All the different worlds that we're trying to create, we work with so many different concept artists, giving prompts in a very personal, one-on-one manner, trying to provide references and build this world," he shared.

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Maintaining an authentic Indian aesthetic within the futuristic setting posed additional challenges to the intricate film process. "Trying to create worlds that are there, here, imagining what it could be like, and still keeping it Indian without making it resemble a Blade Runner or a Tokyo Spice Punk was the challenge," he added.

From mythical wars to futuristic frontiers

He revealed that the story in the film starts in the Mahabharata period, and it ends in 2898, thus the title Kalki 2898 AD. "So it spans that 6000-year distance in time," he noted.

Explaining the rationale behind the intriguing title, Nag said, "The 6000 years behind 2898 comes to like 3102 BC, which is when they say the last avatar of Krishna passed."

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Kalki 2898 AD was earlier titled Project K. The filmmakers announced the film's official title and revealed a sneak peek into its world last year at San Diego Comic-Con.

Nag has sort of pulled off a casting coup of sorts by bringing together the biggest superstars of the Indian film industry for this ambitious project. The star-studded cast includes Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani, adding significant weight to the ambitious project.

Kalki 2898 AD is expected to hit the screens on May 9 this year.

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