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Kalki 2898 AD (2024 Film)
“Kalki 2898 AD” (stylized as KALKI 2898-A.D) is an upcoming Indian epic science fiction film penned and directed by Nag Ashwin. The film is being produced by C. Aswani Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner and boasts an ensemble cast featuring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani.
Director Nag Ashwin, known for the 2018 biographical film “Mahanati,” had revealed in August 2019 that he had been diligently working on an original story and screenplay, which was set to commence production soon.
Initially introduced as “Project K” in February 2020, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Vyjayanthi Movies, the film’s production was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming finally began in July 2021 on a futuristic set at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. Remarkably, it was shot simultaneously in both Telugu and Hindi languages.
With a staggering budget of ₹600 crore (US$75 million), “Kalki 2898 AD” stands as the most expensive Indian film ever created. The movie’s music score has been crafted by Santhosh Narayanan, while Djordje Stojiljkovic is the cinematographer, and Nitin Zihani Choudhary is responsible for the production design. “Kalki 2898 AD” is eagerly anticipated to grace cinema screens in 2024.
Kalki 2898 AD
Directed & Written
Dialogues
Produced
Cinematography
Edited
Music
Distributed & Production
Country
Language
Budget
Release Date
Nag Ashwin
Sai Madhav Burra
C. Aswani Dutt
Djordje Stojiljkovic
Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Santhosh Narayanan
Vyjayanthi Movies
Hindi
₹600 crore
12 January 2024
Objectives
- Prabhas
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Kamal Haasan
- Deepika Padukone
- Disha Patani
- Pasupathy
- Saswata Chatterjee
Development
Following his 2018 biographical film “Mahanati,” director Nag Ashwin revealed in August 2019 that he had been diligently crafting an original story and screenplay, with plans for it to commence production in the near future. During the same month, Vyjayanthi Movies unveiled their intentions to start filming Ashwin’s project in September of that year and extended invitations to visual artists, designers, and writers to join the production.
In February 2020, Vyjayanthi Movies officially announced their collaboration with Nag Ashwin, revealing that their next venture would star Prabhas, marking a significant milestone as it commemorates 50 years since the establishment of their studio. The film is being produced by Ashwin’s father-in-law, C. Aswani Dutt.
In May 2022, Disha Patani joined the cast, marking her return to Telugu cinema after her appearance in “Loafer” (2015). In June 2023, Kamal Haasan also joined the ensemble, marking his return to both Telugu and Hindi cinema.
Initially, in August 2020, A. R. Rahman was approached to compose the music for the film, but he did not sign on. Ashwin then retained technicians from his earlier film, “Mahanati” (2018), including composer Mickey J. Meyer and cinematographer Dani Sanchez-Lopez. However, Serbian cinematographer Djordje Stojiljkovic ultimately replaced Dani Sanchez-Lopez as the official cinematographer of the film. In February 2023, C. Aswani Dutt revealed in an interview that Santhosh Narayanan had taken over as the composer, with a female Bollywood composer contributing a song to the film. The legendary Singeetam Srinivasa Rao also joined the project as a mentor.
“Kalki 2898 AD” is expected to be brought to life with an estimated budget of ₹600 crore (US$75 million), solidifying its status as the most expensive Indian film ever made.
Filming
Initially, the film’s regular shoot was scheduled to commence in November 2020. However, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to the following year. Principal photography finally kicked off in Hyderabad in July 2021, coinciding with Guru Purnima, and began with a muhurat shot featuring Amitabh Bachchan. Prabhas and Deepika Padukone joined the production team in December 2021, and scenes featuring Bachchan, Prabhas, and Padukone were captured. The second schedule of filming took place in February 2022.
Rather than shooting the entire film in one continuous stretch, the team adopted a unique approach, breaking down the 80-90 days of shooting into 7-8 days every month. This approach allowed the production team to meticulously prepare the necessary gadgets and props required for this science fiction film, making the production timeline longer than usual. The film is being shot using the DIY Arri Alexa 65 camera, marking it as the first Indian film to utilize this technology.
Prabhas was initially slated to commence filming his solo scenes in April 2022. However, a knee surgery led to a delay in his upcoming projects, including “Salaar” and “Kalki 2898 AD.” Approximately 90% of the filming has taken place at Ramoji Film City. In June, Bachchan filmed a scene at the Raidurg metro station, while in July, Padukone and Prabhas filmed an intense car chase sequence in Hyderabad. Prabhas successfully completed the majority of his scenes by the conclusion of this schedule.
The principal photography of the film was anticipated to conclude by January 2023, after which post-production and visual effects work were estimated to take around 8 months. However, as of March 2023, filming was still ongoing when Bachchan suffered a rib injury and took time to rest in Mumbai. Despite this setback, around 70% of the filming had been completed by June 2023.
Release
“Kalki 2898 AD” is set to grace cinema screens on January 12, 2024. Originally targeted for a 2022 release, the film faced delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and production-related considerations. In July 2022, producer Dutt announced their intention to release the film in January 2024.
The film is poised for a multi-lingual release, encompassing Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and English languages.
