Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan’s upcoming epic Telugu film Kalki 2898 AD, helmed by director Nag Ashwin, has become one of the year’s most anticipated films and not just because it is bringing together some of the biggest stars of the country under one title. The sheer scale of the film and the groundbreaking debut at the San Diego Comic-Con have raised the audience’s expectations.

The makers recently released a teaser revealing Amitabh Bachchan’s look as Ashwatthama in the movie. The actor can be seen in character, talking to a young boy about how he has lived through the ages. Ashwatthama, in case you didn’t know, is a figure in Indian mythology who is immortal.

The legendary actor took to X, formerly Twitter, to share the teaser along with a message for his fans, writing, “It’s been an experience for me like no other. The mind to think such a product, the execution the exposure to modern technology and above all the company of colleagues with stratospheric Super star presence...”

In case the riveting preview has whipped up your eagerness to know more about this upcoming multi-lingual epic, here’s everything you need to know about Kalki 2898 AD.

Everything To Know About Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD

What is Kalki 2898 AD about?

Previously titled Project K, Nag Ashwin’s epic sci-fi film is set in a dystopian future, 2898 AD to be specific, and has been inspired by Indian mythology.

Though not much is known about the plot, the director opened up about the scale of production at a recent event at IIT Bombay, “In India, we do not have a lot of sci-fi films. We have done a few time travel films. This one is different because it’s in a whole separate world on its own. Also, in the international sense, it is new because we have not seen India in a future setting or dystopian setting. So now we don’t have to look at London and New York being born, now we can see our cities also.”

The movie, reportedly, has a production budget of INR 600 Crores, making it the most expensive Indian movie to ever be made.

Who is going to star in Kalki 2898 AD?

Telugu superstar Prabhas is the lead in the movie and will star alongside Bollywood biggies like Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan. According to the makers, Deepika’s character in the movie would be a “surprise” and it is something which “no mainstream lead has (ever) done before”. It also marks the actress’ debut in Telugu cinema. Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani are also a part of the movie’s cast. Dulquer Salman also revealed in an interview that he was present on set although he didn’t confirm if he’s a part of the cast or not.

What language is Kalki 2898 AD going to be released in?

The movie has been shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi languages. It will also be dubbed in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and English.

When is Kalki 2898 AD going to be released?

While it was announced that the film would be released in January 2024, the date was pushed ahead to an early May release because of a delay in production work. However, according to the latest reports, the date could be postponed again because of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.