The film ‘Kalki 2898 AD‘, directed by Nag Ashwin and featuring Prabhas, made a massive impact at the Indian box office. With a stellar cast including Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Deepika Padukone, the movie generated over ₹1100 crores, greatly exceeding expectations. This remarkable success has turned attention towards its sequel, with audiences eagerly anticipating the release of ‘Kalki 2’. However, recent reports suggest that the shooting for ‘Kalki 2’ is unlikely to commence soon, reportedly due to complications involving the lead actress, Deepika Padukone.
Shooting Breaks!
Producer Ashwani Dutt previously mentioned that ‘Kalki 2’ was expected to release around June or July next year, with 60% of the shooting already complete. However, the remaining shooting is facing delays due to Deepika Padukone. Currently, Deepika is pregnant and is expected to give birth in September. She has decided to take at least a year off from films after giving birth. As part of this, she has even let go of a much-loved project with Rohit Shetty and declined a prominent Bollywood show. This suggests that she might also be unavailable for shooting ‘Kalki 2’.
Deepika is Crucial!
Deepika Padukone’s role is pivotal to ‘Kalki 2’. The second part is expected to revolve around her character. Director Nag Ashwin plans to resume ‘Kalki 2’ on the sets right after Sankranti, and hero Prabhas is eagerly waiting for this. If Deepika is unable to attend the shooting, it poses a significant challenge for the Kalki team, potentially leading to rescheduling the dates Prabhas had set aside for ‘Kalki 2’. This unexpected development is creating new complications for Prabhas, leading to speculation that ‘Kalki 2’ might now be pushed to a 2026 release.
The Real Story in Part 2!
‘Kalki 2898 AD’ seems primarily to introduce the characters. Prabhas (as Bhairava), Deepika Padukone (as Sumathi), Amitabh Bachchan (as Ashwatthama), Kamal Haasan (as the villain Supreme Yashkin), and Vijay Deverakonda (as Arjuna) are central to the narrative of Kalki. The director, Nag Ashwin, set up the backgrounds and significance of each character in the first part, showing the hardships people face at the end of Kali Yuga and the villain Supreme Yashkin’s tyranny. The conditions before the arrival of Kalki, the tenth avatar of Vishnu, were depicted in ‘Part 1’. However, the hero Prabhas and the villain Supreme Yashkin did not come face to face in the first part. In ‘Part 2’, these two are expected to confront each other directly, making the second part more intriguing.
Kamal Haasan’s Significant Role
Kamal Haasan’s role in the Kalki film lasts less than 15 minutes, offering the audience little opportunity to see his performance beyond two or three dialogues. Supreme Yashkin gains divine power by injecting himself with serum extracted from Sumathi (Deepika Padukone) while she is pregnant. His enhanced power is shown in the climax of ‘Kalki’. This indicates that Kamal Haasan’s role will be fully realized in ‘Kalki 2’. Speaking at a recent event, Kamal also confirmed that he would appear more extensively in ‘Kalki 2’. Consequently, fans might get to see more of Kamal Haasan’s formidable acting as the plot progresses, with Prabhas (as Karna/Bhairava) and Amitabh Bachchan (as Ashwatthama) aiding the young Kalki in defeating Supreme Yashkin.
Who will Play Kalki?
According to mythology, Kalki, the avatar of Vishnu, ends the Kali Yuga. From the start of the shooting of Kalki, everyone assumed Prabhas would play Kalki. However, the director threw a curveball by portraying him as Karna. This makes it interesting to speculate who will appear as Kalki in the film. Since Kalki remains in Sumathi’s womb until the end of the first part, there is no chance for him to suddenly appear fully grown in ‘Part 2’. Thus, there is a possibility that Kalki might be shown as a child. This child, aided by Prabhas (Karna/Bhairava) and Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan), might be the one to vanquish Supreme Yashkin.
