Kalki 2898 AD director Nag Ashwin reveals, “Amitabh Bachchan sir was the first person I wanted on board”

Director Nag Ashwin made a big, Marvel-like movie called Kalki 2898 AD. Many people wondered how he did this since Indian movies don’t usually have the money or resources for these kinds of films.
Ashwin explained that two things made this possible: one was the popularity of actor Prabhas, especially after the movie Baahubali. The other was the support from his producers, who were willing to take risks.

He also gave credit to his talented team, including the production designer and cameraman. They worked very hard for a long time, especially on the special effects needed for the movie.
The movie had a rushed release because of all the special effects and different versions needed for different formats and languages. Despite this, the movie was well-received, even in an early, unfinished version.
Amitabh Bachchan, a famous Indian actor, played a superhero role in the movie. Ashwin said he wanted Bachchan for the role from the beginning and that the actor trusted his vision for the movie.

Ashwin revealed that he started planning Kalki 2898 AD shortly after his last movie, Mahanati. The idea came from his childhood love of stories like the Mahabharata and influences like Star Wars.
While people are excited about a sequel, Ashwin says it won’t happen soon because they’ve only filmed about 20% of it. He has another project to finish first, a series in Hindi. Then, he’ll focus on preparing for the Kalki 2898 AD sequel.

The success of the movie was a relief for Ashwin, as it showed that Indian filmmakers could make high-quality science fiction films. This success opens doors for others to try similar projects.