The director should be applauded for taking a bold and 'complex' vision and working painstakingly to bring to life on the big screen. The movie attempts to combine the elements of mythological drama, sci-fi adventure, and superhero action to create a unique cinematic experience without losing its Indianness.

Cast and Characters

Kalki is loaded with multi starter cast of actors and directors who bring exemplary screen presence. The main cast and characters are Prabhas as the protagonist, the prophesied savior of the world, born in Shambhala. Kamal Haasan as Supreme the tyrannical ruler of the dystopian world and embodiment of evil. Deepika Padukone as the savior mother of Kalki avatar. Amitabh Bachchan plays the immortal Ashwathama with a towering presence. Dulquer has a blink you miss role of Prabhas’ father.

The highlight of the movie is SS Rajamouli’s cameo is fireworks. Another unexpected cameo is Ram Gopal Varma. Both these light-hearted scenes get terrific audience reception.

Technical value

The visual extravagance of the movie with stunning visual effects overpowers the little emotional connect that one may feel throughout the movie. The movie draws inspiration from stunt sequences in movies as the Mad Max Fury Road, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and some subtle references to Avatar and other epic movies. Kalki shows the stark contrast and conflict between the dark and chaotic world of Kali Yuga, and the bright and serene world of Shambhala. 

Santhosh Narayanan’s background music is on the mark throughout the movie.  The cinematography by Djordje Stojiljkovic, art direction by Nitin Zihani Choudhary (production design), Anil Jadhav, Santosh Shetty, Velu, Rembon, and computer graphics (VFX Creative Producer: Praveen Kilaru), all work together to create a Hollywood quality production. The stunt sequence by King Solomon, Andy Long, Peter Heins, Satish, Anbariv, nick powell is well choreographed, and special mention for  costumes (Archana Rao) and make-up. The editing department (Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao) does the tough job of putting it all together with out exposing visual flaws while keeping the action flowing smoothly.

Writing

The weakness of the movie is in its writing department. The screenplay takes a long time to set it up a sequel. The story is somewhat predictable with pedestrian situations. It is difficult to invest in lead characters due to the non-stop action sequences in an unrelatable world. 

It is difficult to root for both Prabhas and Amitabh while they both battle out for Deepika. The characterization is shallow with Amitabh reminding of 'Kattapa', Prabhas reminding of other larger than life characters from his past movies -- Baahubali, Adipurush, and Saaho, Deepika’s role of protective mother reminds of 'Sivagami'. Kamal Haasan as bulked up Supreme in the end has similarities to Saif Ali Khan in Adipurush. Whatever little emotional connect in the movie, it brings the feeling of déjà vu of past Prabhas movies.

Final Word

With characters fully established, the movie ends on a strong note setting the stage for an interesting showdown between Prabhas and Kamal Haasan in the concluding part.

Overall, the movie should be commended for its bold vision, painstaking details, and extravagant production value, however the movie falls flat in engaging the audience which makes it a disconnected viewing experience.

Rating: 2.75/5