Kalki 2898 AD first glimpse has fans comparing Prabhas’s film to Dune, Star Wars

Prabhas's Kalki 2898 AD was unveiled on Thursday, and it is highly reminiscent of Denis Villeneuve's Dune and Star Wars series.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | July 21, 2023 06:42 PM IST

4 min read

Stills from trailer of Kalki 2898 and Dune

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The original title of Prabhas’s Project K was revealed along with a first-glimpse promo at San Diego Comic-Con on Wednesday, which took the internet by storm. As expected, the promo revealed that Kalki is a dystopian film set in the future. The film blends the aesthetics of Hindu mythology with sci-fi elements. Going by the teaser, Kalki 2898 AD looks like a war between two factions–oppressed and the oppressor. Like all the films of this genre, there is a hint at the existence of ‘the chosen one’. In this case, the title itself reveals it to be Kalki, the prophesied tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu.

While the first glimpse of the film is being lauded for its set design and costume by the fans, people on social media also noted that the film is highly reminiscent of Hollywood films Dune and Star Wars series. A few went to the extent of calling Kalki 2898 a cheaper version of Dune. On the other hand, a user called it the answer from India to those Hollywood films. Also, it has to be noted, Dune also has the trope of the chosen one or the messiah.

A user on Reddit defended Kalki 2898 AD saying that one cannot reduce the film as a copy just because it has a similar aesthetics to Dune. “Calling Kalki a cheaper copy of other films just because of the aesthetic is funny. It’s giving “Uncle goes to Mexican restaurant and says Tortillas are a copy of Rotis(sic),” read the post.

However, the similarity between Dune and Kalki is undeniable. The colour palette and even the background score of both film shares a similar tone. Yet, it would be too soon to judge Prabhas’s film just with the first promo.

Also starring Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Pasupathy, the film is directed by Nag Ashwin of Mahanati fame. The film, Santhosh Narayanan, will be released in 2024.

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