Indian movies have always been popular. “Baahubali” is one a particular favorite on Netflix. But March 2022 brought Indian films to the forefront with the legendary “RRR“. Which was nominated for best original song at the academy awards and proved its worth as an action film. Now there’s a new sci-fi epic steeped in Hindu mythology. “Kalki 2898 AD” released its debut trailer at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).
Starring A-listers Prahbas (“Baahubali“), Deepika Padukone of one of India’s biggest hits “Pathaan“, Amitabh Bachchan (“Uunchai“), Kamal Haasan (“Vikram“), and Disha Patani (“Ek Villain Returns“). “Kalki” takes place in the far flung future, but combines the magic of myth with science fiction. Which is an underutilized concept, we feel. But in order to truly understand the plot, you need to know a little Hindu mythology. So here’s a tiny crash course.
There are ten incarnations of the god Vishnu, known as the Dashavatara. Each incarnation descends at given points of history to restore order to the cosmos. In the universe of “Kalki“, the world has fallen into is final darkness: the Kali Yuga. A point considered almost irreparably entrenched in sin and conflict. Vishnu’s final incarnation, Kalki, must descend to rid the world of the darkness, lest it fall into ultimate chaos.
“When the world is taken over by darkness, a new force will arise,” boasts the trailer. And our hero played by Prahbas. The visuals for the film look amazing, bringing Indian culture into science fiction designs; wholly different from science fiction of the US.
The film will be released worldwide January 12th, 2024.
