Comparisons to Hollywood behemoths like “Dune,” “Mad Max,” and “Star Wars” erupted on the internet when the teaser for “Kalki 2898 AD” debuted. Fans even compared Deepika Padukone’s appearance in “Kalki” to Zendaya’s in “Dune.” Director Nag Ashwin offered his opinions on these parallels and spoke about his influences in an exclusive chat with India Today.
Ashwin admitted how “Star Wars” had an impact on his art. “Lord of the Rings, ‘Star Wars,’ and ‘Harry Potter’ really appeal to me. Anything that generates a different universe with own rules appeals to me. Both watchers and readers would find great value in these tales as they provide a therapeutic release. Though ‘Kalki’ is the closest I have come to building such a world,’ Ashwin said, I never thought I could create something like that.
Regarding the “Dune” analogy, Ashwin said, “I thought it’s a magnificent piece of art even though I hadn’t read ‘Dune’ until right before the movie came out. Growing up, “Star Wars” clearly had a big impact on me, hence some subliminal references most certainly found their way into “Kalki.'”
With Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan in key parts, “Kalki 2898 AD” has won accolades from viewers as well as reviewers. The popularity of the movie has even prompted a sequel’s announcement. Particularly praised is Ashwin’s ability to combine Mahabharata motifs with sci-fi, which makes good parallels to the Marvel superhero line.
In another interview, Ashwin expressed faith in the complexity of Indian mythological storytelling in response to analogues with Marvel movies. “We surely have tales with the complexity and heroism found in any Marvel or DC film, but I’m not sure if it’s a response or not. We only need to explore them and present them in a way that appeals to the current generation, maybe by combining them with sci-fi components,” he said PTI.
Set in a dystopian future city of Kashi (Varanasi), “Kalki 2898 AD” stars Amitabh Bachchan as the immortal warrior Ashwathhama, who shields the next incarnation of Lord Vishnu carried by Deepika Padukone. Prabhas stars Bhairava, a bounty hunter dispatched by Supreme Yaskin, Kamal Haasan’s enemy, on search for her. The success of the movie has much on do with its creative mix of futuristic and mythological components.
Reiterating the possibility of Indian film to challenge Hollywood in producing rich, complex narratives, “Kalki 2898 AD” opened theaters on June 27 and has since become a box office triumph. Fans excitedly await how Ashwin will widen the universe he has created as he works on the sequel.
