Kalki 2898 AD
Kalki 2898 AD (stylized as KALKI 2898-A.D) is an upcoming Indian epic science fiction film written and directed by Nag Ashwin. It is produced by C. Aswani Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies. The film stars an ensemble cast including Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani.
| Kalki 2898 A.D | |
|---|---|
Official film logo | |
| Directed by | Nag Ashwin |
| Written by | Nag Ashwin |
| Dialogues by | |
| Produced by | C. Aswani Dutt |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Djordje Stojiljkovic |
| Edited by | Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao |
| Music by | Santhosh Narayanan |
Production company | |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Languages |
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| Budget | ₹600 crore[1] |
The film was announced under the working title Project K in February 2020 coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Vyjayanthi Movies. However, the production was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming began in July 2021 in a futuristic set at Ramoji Film City, in Hyderabad. It was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi.[2]
Kalki 2898 AD is made on a budget of ₹600 crore (US$75 million), making it the most expensive Indian film ever made. The film's music score is composed by Santhosh Narayanan with cinematography by Djordje Stojiljkovic and production design by Nitin Zihani Choudhary. Kalki 2898 AD is scheduled to be released in cinemas in 2024.[3]
Cast
Production
Development
Following the 2018 biographical film Mahanati, director Nag Ashwin stated in August 2019 that he has been working on an original story and screenplay for a long time which would go on floors soon.[4] The same month, Vyjayanthi Movies revealed their plans to begin Ashwin's film in September that year and invited visual artists, designers and writers to join the production.[5]
Vyjayanthi Movies officially announced in February 2020 that their next film with Ashwin would star Prabhas.[6] It is intended to mark 50 years since the establishment of their studio.[7] The film is produced by Ashwin's father-in-law C. Aswani Dutt.[8]
Casting
In July 2020, Hindi film actress Deepika Padukone was signed to play the lead role opposite Prabhas. Padukone felt that she was "beyond thrilled" to join the production while Ashwin stated that her character would be "surprise" as it was something which "no mainstream lead has [ever] done before".[9] The film marks Padukone's debut in Telugu cinema.[10] Bollywood Hungama reported that her role was initially "not substantial" but was improved to suit her stardom.[11] In October, Amitabh Bachchan was cast in a full-length role in the film.[12] Ashwin stated that his role was "so important that his character's name was the working title of an early draft".[13] The film would be Bachchan's first full-length role in a Telugu film, following his previous cameo appearance in Manam (2014) and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019).[14]
In May 2022, Disha Patani joined the cast, marking her return to Telugu cinema after Loafer (2015).[15] In June 2023, Kamal Haasan joined the cast, marking his return to Telugu and Hindi cinema.[16]
Pre-production
The film was recognised as "Project K" which served as the working title of the film.[17] Ashwin stated that the film needed high-end technology and futuristic vehicles to be developed for the film. While they can be recreated using computer-generated imagery (CGI), Ashwin wanted them to feel "authentic and genuine", therefore opted to build these vehicles from scratch with a dedicated team of engineers.[18] In March 2022, Ashwin requested businessman Anand Mahindra to provide technical support to build such type of vehicles.[19]
A few days later, Mahindra responded that their company Mahindra & Mahindra would assist the production team from their Mahindra Research Valley campus in Chennai.[20] In July 2021, the makers have erected a futuristic set at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad where a significant portion of filming is expected to take place.[21]
In August 2020, A. R. Rahman was initially approached to compose music for the film. Rahman did not sign the film,[22] and Ashwin retained technicians from his earlier film Mahanati (2018), namely, composer Mickey J. Meyer and cinematographer Dani Sanchez-Lopez.[23] But later, Serbian cinematographer, Djordje Stojiljkovic, replaced Dani Sanchez-Lopez as the official cinematographer of the film. In February 2023, Dutt stated in an interview that Santhosh Narayanan replaced Meyer as the composer, along with a female Bollywood composer composing a song for the film.[24] Singeetam Srinivasa Rao joined the project to serve as a mentor.[25]
Kalki 2898 AD is estimated to be mounted at a budget of ₹600 crore (US$75 million), making it the most expensive Indian film ever made.[1]
Filming
Initially, the film was planned to begin its regular shoot in November 2020. However, it was postponed to the following year due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.[26] Principal photography commenced in Hyderabad in July 2021 on the occasion of Guru Purnima, following a muhurat shot featuring Bachchan.[27] Prabhas and Padukone joined the production in December 2021 and scenes featuring Bachchan, Prabhas and Padukone were shot.[28][29] Second schedule of the shoot took place in February 2022.[30]
Instead of shooting the entire film in a single stretch, the team divided its 80–90 days of shoot into 7–8 days every month. This would allow the production team to take time and prepare the gadgets and property to be used in this science fiction film. Therefore, the production of the film is expected to take longer than usual.[31] DIY Arri Alexa 65 camera is being used to shoot the film, thus making it the first Indian film to use this technology.[32]
Prabhas was expected to start filming his solo portions in April 2022,[33] however, his knee surgery led to a delay of his upcoming projects including Salaar and Kalki 2898 AD.[34] 90% of the shoot is being done in Ramoji Film City.[35] In June, Bachchan shot for a scene at Raidurg metro station.[36] In July, Padukone and Prabhas shot for a car chase sequence in Hyderabad.[37] Prabhas completed shooting majority of his portions by the end of this schedule.[38]
Principal photography of the film was expected to be completed by January 2023, following which post-production and visual effects works would take around 8 months.[39] However the film was still being shot in March 2023 when Bachchan injured his ribs and took rest in Mumbai.[40] Around 70% of the filming was completed by June 2023.[41]
Marketing
On 19 July 2023, the film's first look was released.[42] It received negative response and later deleted by makers from social media handles and uploaded with some changes which also received criticism.[43][44] At the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, the new title for the film was officially announced and the teaser trailer was debuted at the event.[45] Nag Ashwin, Prabhas, Kamal Haasan and C. Aswani Dutt were present at the event.[46]
Release
Kalki 2898 AD is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 12 January 2024.[47] Initially aimed for a 2022 release, it was delayed due the COVID-19 pandemic and production works.[8] In July 2022, producer Dutt stated that they were planning to release the film in January 2024.[39][48]
The film is planned to be released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English languages.[49]
References
- ^ a b "Project K: From Prabhas to Deepika Padukone, here's how much actors are getting paid". Pinkvilla. 26 June 2023. from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
Reportedly, 600 crores is being spent to make this multi-starrer film.
- ^ "Has Prabhas and Deepika Padukone's 'Kalki 2898 AD' release been postponed to May 2024?". The Times of India. 24 July 2023. from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Prabhas' 'Adipurush' and 'Project K' to release in English". The Times of India. 29 June 2022. from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ K., Janani (14 August 2019). "Mahanati director Nag Ashwin: I thought Bollywood will get National Awards, not Keerthy Suresh". India Today. from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Mahanati director's next from September". Telugu Cinema. 7 August 2019. from the original on 29 July 2022.
- ^ Kavirayani, Suresh (28 February 2020). "Nag Ashwin to direct Prabhas's 21st film". The Asian Age. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas to work with 'Mahanati' director Nag Ashwin next". The Hindu. PTI. 26 February 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. from the original on 8 June 2022.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b "Prabhas' next with Nag Ashwin to go on floors from October. Release in 2022". The Times of India. 8 May 2020. from the original on 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas and Deepika Padukone to star in Nag Ashwin's film". The Indian Express. 19 July 2020. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Lakhotia, Srishti (4 December 2021). "Deepika Padukone Telugu Debut: Actor Starts Filming In Hyderabad". SheThePeople. from the original on 7 March 2023.
- ^ K. Jha, Subhash (22 July 2020). "Deepika Padukone charges Rs. 20 cr to feature in the Prabhas starrer; becomes the highest paid actress". Bollywood Hungama. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Jha, Subhash K. (27 November 2020). "Amitabh Bachchan will feature in a full length role in Prabhas and Deepika Padukone starrer film". Bollywood Hungama. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan joins Prabhas, Deepika Padukone in Nag Ashwin's untitled multilingual project". Firstpost. 9 October 2020. from the original on 17 August 2022.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan describes his experience of working with Prabhas on Project K". The Times of India. 19 February 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Disha Patani joins the cast of Project K". Cinema Express. 8 May 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (25 June 2023). "Kamal Haasan Joins Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan on Cast of 'Project K'". Variety. from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Nag Ashwin's new film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone begins in Hyderabad". The Hindu. 24 July 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ Adivi, Sashidhar (7 March 2022). "Nag Ashwin asked for help, Anand Mahindra obliged". Deccan Chronicle. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Pandey, Devasheesh (4 March 2022). "Prabhas, Deepika Padukone's Project K director seeks 'tech-related' help from Anand Mahindra". India TV News. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Anand Mahindra excited about Deepika-Prabhas starrer 'Project K', says it will beat Hollywood". The Economic Times. 14 March 2022. from the original on 6 July 2022.
- ^ "With 400 crore budget, Prabhas-Deepika's next to break Baahubali record". The Siasat Daily. 31 July 2021. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Manjula (5 August 2020). "AR Rahman Whopping Remuneration For Deepika-Prabhas Movie of Nag Ashwin". The Hans India. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Makers of Nag Ashwin-Prabhas movie rope in 'Mahanati' cinematographer, music composer". The New Indian Express. 29 January 2021. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Project K: Mickey out, Santhosh Narayanan is in". Greatandhra. 25 February 2023. from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Kumar, Karthik (22 September 2020). "Singeetham Srinivasa Rao joins Prabhas and Deepika Padukone's next with director Nag Ashwin". Hindustan Times. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Nag Ashwin's film with Prabhas postponed". The News Minute. 26 March 2020. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan begin shooting for Nag Ashwin's next in Hyderabad". The Siasat Daily. 24 July 2021. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas and Deepika Padukone give their first shot for Nag Ashwin's Project K". The Times of India. 12 December 2021. from the original on 29 January 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, And Deepika Padukone Start Shooting For Their Next Project k". Outlook India. 13 January 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "The second schedule of Prabhas' upcoming movie 'Project K' to resume its shoot soon - Times of India". The Times of India. 12 February 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Bhopatkar, Tejashree (16 March 2022). "Exclusive! Here's why Prabhas' 'Project K' starring Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan is taking so long to complete". The Times of India. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Is a new filmmaking technology being introduced to Tollywood with Prabhas' 'Project K'?". The Times of India. 22 April 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ Keshri, Shweta (22 April 2022). "Prabhas to start shooting his solo portions for Project K in Hyderabad". India Today. from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ "BREAKING: Prabhas to undergo major knee surgery; recovery period is 3 months, will likely affect shoot of Salaar & Project K". Bollywood Hungama. 4 April 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas Starrer Project K Completes Key Schedule In Hyderabad". News18. 18 May 2022. from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Hyderabad: Amitabh Bachchan spotted at Raidurg metro station". Telengana Today. 29 June 2022. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Project K: Prabhas and Deepika Padukone shoot adrenaline pumping action with high end cars like Lamborghini". Bollywood Hungama. 20 July 2022. from the original on 21 July 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas, Deepika Padukone's 'Project K' reaches final leg of shoot". The Times of India. 23 July 2022. from the original on 30 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Latest: Prabhas' Project-K will be released on this date". 123telugu.com. 28 July 2022. from the original on 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan injured while filming action scene". CNN. 6 March 2023. from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas welcome Kamal Haasan as he joins Nag Ashwin's Project K: 'A legend is what we needed for this role'". The Indian Express. 25 June 2023. from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ "Internet unhappy with Prabhas' first look from 'Project K', call him 'sasta Iron man'". India Today. from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "Project K: Prabhas' First Look Poster Deleted, Replaced. But Can You Spot The Difference?". Zoom TV. from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "'Kalki 2898 AD' faces criticism from netizens for being a 'cheap copy'". Telangana Today. 21 July 2023.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (20 July 2023). "Prabhas, Deepika Padukone Sci-Fi Film 'Kalki 2898 AD' Teaser Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con". Variety. from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "Prabhas Was "Bored" Of The Blue Screen And Then Kalki 2898-AD Teaser Happened". NDTV.com.
- ^ "Prabhas and Deepika's 'Project K' to release on January 12 2024". The Week. from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ "Prabhas-starrer 'Project K' makers eyeing two release dates". The Times of India. 28 July 2022. from the original on 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Prabhas recalls his first conversation with Deepika Padukone: 'She asked me if I'm shy. I said....'". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2022. from the original on 8 June 2022.
External links
- Kalki 2898 AD at IMDb