Culture news At over $70 million, this three-hour sci-fi film is the most expensive in Indian cinema and it wants to do everything it can to surpass Dune 2.
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Kalki 2898 AD, the most expensive feature film in the history of Indian cinema, has just been released in theaters. While the inspirations from Dune are obvious, the film is set to make a name for itself at the box office by offering viewers around the world an original universe from Hindu culture.
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An original and ambitious science fiction film
Faced with the Hollywood behemoth, the Indian film industry is probably the only one taking risks and offering ambitious blockbusters. Proof of this is once again with the theatrical release of Kalki 2898 AD, a science fiction blockbuster with an estimated budget of $75 million, the largest budget in the history of Indian cinema.
Presented last year at the San Diego Comic-Con, Kalki 2898 AD does not hide its inspirations coming directly from the adaptation of Dune by Denis Villeneuve. But the film nevertheless offers an original story that draws directly from Indian mythology to transport us on a journey that begins during the events of the Mahabharata in 3102 BC to 2898 AD. A journey of nearly 6000 years that highlights Hindu culture and the Indian people, as explained by director Nag Ashwin.
The film starts with Mahabharat and ends in 2898 AD. It spans 6,000 years. We tried to create worlds, imagining what they would look like while keeping them Indian and not making them look like Blade Runner.
Ready to shake up the international box office
Apart from its huge budget, Kalki 2898 AD also has a cast made up of Indian superstars. We find Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan and especially Prabhas Raju, a major figure in contemporary Indian cinema, who plays the lead role here. Kalki 2898 AD is therefore ready to be a hit at the national box office, but is also looking abroad and intends to conquer as many territories as possible, as Prabhas explained to Deadline last month.
The whole film is made for an international audience. That's why it's the highest budget film and we have the best actors in the country.
With Kalki 2898 AD, Indian cinema wants to make a big impact and could easily succeed. Despite a limited release worldwide, the film is already making headlines and is currently receiving very good reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, Kalki 2898 AD has a press score of 72% and an audience score of 96%. Since the film is also available in France in a few cinemas, we can only recommend that you treat yourself to this incredible experience in this period that is lacking in large-scale entertainment.