Kalki 2898 AD (Hindi) Movie Review: Nag Ashwin delivers a chaotic sci-fi epic; stellar 2nd half redeems a dull start | Bollywood

Kalki 2898 AD Movie Review (Hindi): Offer a crossover film between South and North, and there is something to excite movie buffs. Kalki 2898 AD got all the pre-buzz for its superlative action, visual effects, storyline and more… but the 3-hour film turns out to be rather chaotic and complicated, and it confuses you more that you cannot understand it. (Also Read: Kalki 2898 AD (Telugu) review: Giants Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan outshine Prabhas and Deepika Padukone in Ashwin's courageous epic)

We've seen enough 'good versus evil' stories in Indian cinema, so the broad strokes of Kalki 2898 AD are nothing out of the ordinary. Didn't get the trailer? Wait until you watch the movie, you might walk out of the theatre feeling the same way – not understanding anything at all!

A convoluted plot

Writer-director Nag Ashwin's wild and perverse storyline of blending fact and fiction tests your patience. At first glance, it might seem like a good idea to start the film with the climax of the Battle of Kurukshetra, where Ashwatthama was cursed by Lord Krishna to live till eternity in order to understand his mistake while giving him a chance at redemption. But as the story progresses and more and more fictional elements take over, you realize how lame it actually is to have a plot so convoluted that it becomes almost impossible to unravel. 'assimilate.

600 years after the Battle of Kurukshetra, we are transported to an absurd world composed of three fictional locations: Kashi, Complex and Shambala. Each of them has a specific purpose. But what is it? We do not know it. All we are told is that Kashi is the only city in existence and that it is ruled by the Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan), an evil force that operates from Complex (an inverted pyramid hovering above the city). Yaskin wants a serum from a fertile woman.

Enter a pregnant test subject, SUM-80 aka Sumathi (Deepika Padukone), who escapes from the Facility, and bounty hunter Bhairava (Prabhas) is determined to catch her with his AI droid sidekick BU-JZ-1 aka Bujji (voiceover by Keerthy Suresh). He meets Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) who must protect and save Sumathi at all costs, as she is carrying the unborn child, Kalki, the tenth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is said to have descended to earth to protect the world from evil forces. This is the crux of Kalki 2898 AD, but it stretches to just over three hours.

An overdose of action

The first half is an absolute bore, with so many boring scenes and stupid action with laser guns that you wonder what the hell these people are fighting for. A little more attention to the human drama would have been better here. There are characters coming and going, and you can't understand what's happening on screen in these action sequences one after the other.

Even after the first half, it's unclear what the story is, where it's going, and what these characters are doing. It's the second half that keeps you intrigued and contains some exhilarating scenes. The action sequences between Prabhas and the indestructible Amitabh Bachchan are brilliantly choreographed and are the highlight of the film. In particular, their confrontation in the last 20 minutes helps the film redeem itself to some extent.

A visual spectacle

A visual spectacle by all means, Kalki is equipped with world-class VFX that does not disappoint. With sets mounted on a large scale, there are spectacular sequences of large structures, outdoor action and robotic characters that add to the sci-fi drama. Congratulations to Djordje Stojiljkovic for his brilliant cinematography.

Even though visually everything works well, Kalki suffers from an uneven pace and feels uneven at several points. There are times when you get invested in a character or a scene, and the storyline abruptly switches to another path.

There are also a series of cameos from Vijay Deverakonda, SS Rajamouli, Mrunal Thakur, Dulquer Salmaan, Ram Gopal Verma, among others. But who cares when the story is so weak and the screenplay so scattered.

The representations

Prabhas may have been sincere in everything he does on screen but there is no depth or substance to his character arc. First of all, he gets the most disappointing entry scene and then seeing him do lame comedy and crack jokes that don't hit the mark, I felt bad for him. Saaho and Radhe Shyam had already done this wrong, Kalki didn't need to put him in this caricature space again.

Deepika is convincing and holds her own, even though she has very little to do in terms of dialogues and action. She is mostly saved by someone or the other but her presence on screen makes you feel her pain. Kamal Haasan is there for barely two scenes, but his prosthetic makeup makes it worth it. Trust the creators when they say Part 2 will have more.

Saswata Chatterjee as Commander Manas and Anil George as Advisor Bani have pivotal roles, but never stand out. And it's best not to even bring up Disha Patani's sidekick role, which only added to the tedium of the first half.

Amidst all this, it is Amitabh Bachchan's performance that truly moves you and leaves a lasting impact. For his age, the kind of rigorous acting he does on screen and that 8-foot-38 exterior he walks with is exceptional.

Full of references

Nag Ashwin seems to have picked several nuggets from Bollywood, Hollywood and other South language films, and one can’t help but notice these references. Complex’s labs and Yaskin’s serum injection scenes remind you of Vivek Oberoi’s Kaal in Krrish 3. Prabhas pressing a button on his shoe and flying through the air is another version of Hrithik Roshan’s Krrish.

Refugees and rebels in Shambala praying together before a sacred tree instantly evokes an image of Avatar. And a fight sequence with a Punjabi song in the background proves that Arjan Vailly's hangover from Animal continues.

In a nutshell, Kalki is a heady mix of mythology, science, fiction and action that works in parts, but for most of its duration, you feel like you've been sitting in a theatre for days. All I can say is, if I manage to survive this, you might want to give it a try just for its scale, visual appeal and watching Amitabh Bachchan pack a punch.