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As Kalki 2898 AD gets acceptance from the audience and speculation begins about its second iteration, which will see Kamal Haasan’s Supreme Yaskin and Amitabh Bachchan’s Ashwatthama locking horns, director Nag Ashwin has confirmed that all loose ends of the first film will be wrapped up. Kalki 2898 AD is headlined by Prabhas, who played Karna in the film that combines elements from the epic Mahabharat with Star Wars, X-Men and Dune.
Nag Ashwin says in an interview to Variety, “Obviously, the most important thing will be the face-off between these three, which will be between Yaskin who can now wield the Gandiva, which is thought to be the most powerful weapon, versus Karna and Ashwatthama, who are the most fearsome warriors.”
Prabhas as Karna, Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama
Asked about using the Mahabharat characters in his film, Ashwin says, “Karna always felt unfinished to me. A warrior like that needed redemption, needed the last chapter. Both Ashwatthama and Karna, the whole ‘Mahabharata’ is not really about good and bad as such, it’s just about people in circumstances where they have to choose,” he adds. “These guys chose to be on the wrong side, so maybe the redemption is to fight on the other side in this yuga [age].”
While the two characters were on the wrong side of the Mahabharata, in Kalki 2898 AD, the table has turned and they are the heroes fighting for the good. Talking about this creative choice, Nag Ashwin told the website, “The whole Mahabharata is not really about good and bad as such, it’s just about people in circumstances where they have to choose. These guys chose to be on the wrong side, so maybe the redemption is to fight on the other side in this yuga.”
Dulquer Salmaan and Vijay Devarkonda cameos in Kalki 2898 AD
The film had several cameos, and only two significantly impacted the film’s story arc. One was Vijay Devarkonda’s Arjun and the other was Dulquer Salmaan’s Captain. In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Nag Ashwin was asked about the future of the two roles in the second part of the film, and the director admitted that there is a scope for Dulquer’s character to evolve into something more.
“They are pretty much limited to what role they have. There’s a possibility to expand it into something else, especially for Dulquer Salmaan. As of now, it is what it is,” Ashwin said. Ever since the film was released, fan theories have been making the rounds on social media, especially about Dulquer’s role. He plays the mentor figure to Prabhas’s Bhairava, who gets betrayed by the protagonist. Many called for a spin-off of the particular character, who goes by the name Captain. With the news that Dulquer has signed in for a film with Kalki 2898 AD producers, Vyjayanthi Movies, the call for the spin-off has grown louder.
Nag Ashwin on Kalki 2898 AD fan theories
Nag Ashwin admitted that he is open to taking inspiration from such fan theories. “I have read a few of them, and though they are not my ideas, they are cool. If it makes sense and has a good idea or seed of a thought I will take it up. All writers are greedy and would want to take up whatever comes their way.”
Nag Ashwin also ended the rumour that 60 per cent of the second part has been already shot. “I would say, we have shot about 25 to 30 days for the second part. There’s a lot left. It has a lot of prep work to do in terms of just designing. We have to start the process all over again… bring all the actors back to the set.”
Kalki 2898 AD took about two years to make. The film went on floors around the middle of 2021 and was released on June 27, 2023. Going by the duration, the second part might get released in 2024 end or early 2025.
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