Kalki 2898 AD Review - RIB07

Kalki 2898 AD Review

Disclaimer: I watched this dubbed in Hindi and subbed in English at my local theater. I have a very cursory knowledge of the Mahabharata, which is important to the plot but you don’t really need to know it to understand or enjoy the movie. This review will not contain spoilers.

TLDR: This movie is action packed and a visual spectacle unlike nearly anything in Indian cinema. The plot falters a bit but a proper suspension of disbelief on the viewer’s part can lead to a very enjoyable and expansive action film.

        Kalki 2898 AD is a very interesting film. The cast is star studded and the set design is really something to behold, but an over reliance on stereotypical sci-fi tropes and flimsy worldbuilding in a 3 hour long movie brings the spectacle down just a bit. A lot of other reviews comment on the fact that the first half, which is filled with more exposition, is slower than the action-packed second half, and indeed the theater showing I went to had a lot more people enter the screening only after the intermission. I wouldn’t blame anyone for skipping the first half, although I do have to say that it really adds to the characterization and drama of the movie. Not to mention that this is supposed to be the first movie in a wider cinematic universe revolving around Hindu scriptures, so if you plan on watching those I think you should give the beginning the attention it deserves, I actually prefer the first half myself.

        The characters, humor, and action are all there. The big climactic battle is a little disappointing but I can’t blame the director for the approach he took, it also does a good job of setting up the viewer for whatever follows in the wider Kalki Cinematic Universe and I will totally be watching what comes next.

        I wouldn’t call the plot itself weak, but the world building leaves a lot to be desired. The film plays off a sort of post-apocalyptic dystopian trope and if you try to think about the logic behind how the big bad evil guy built his empire you’ll find a chasm of questions that won’t be answered. The villains themselves are lame as hell, they could have done a much better job with the casting or special effects because they look lame and are not compelling in the slightest, but the cyberpunk city where so much of the plot is filmed, the desert sequences, and the scenes showcasing the rich area of the city lofted in the sky really makes up for it, they nailed the feel of how a cyberpunk city should look, I was quite surprised.

        I don’t know what to say for the acting, Amitabh Bachan was my favorite but the rest of the cast felt pretty stilted in their roles. I wish we could’ve seen more from Disha Patani, her character isn’t around for long but the sequences where she is feature some of the best visual imagery in the film, for more than one reason. Deepika Padukone’s character was pretty useless, she got little to no dialogue and showed no agency, ushered from one plot point to the next by the surrounding characters, her character was completely underutilized. Prabhas was hilarious, they should’ve made his costume and overall appearance more fitting for the role but his scenes were the most humorous and action filled.

        One of the most disappointing aspects of the film was the impression that the scenes acting as flashbacks to the Mahabharata were the best. They were really intense  and spectacular. A huge part of me wished they just made a film covering that epic in its entirety instead of all this sci-fi stuff. Anyone well versed in sci-fi will probably walk away with the feeling that they could’ve made a better movie. It really is a lot of tiny things that, if tweaked, could have truly made this film something to remember for a long time to come, but sadly I don’t feel this is the case. If you have 3 hours free and want something that’s pretty unique and filled with action then this movie is definitely worth watching, otherwise you’re probably better off waiting to see what else, if anything, comes out of this cinematic universe before jumping in.

Nikhil Saxena

Founder, Destrier Studios

https://linktr.ee/destrierstudios

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