6000 years and 75 million dollars: will the most expensive Indian film in history be the new Dune?

Kalki 2898 AD is one of the most anticipated films of the year. We told you about it last year, when its first trailer was released at San Diego Comic-Con, and the public was already divided. Directed by Nag Ashwin, the Indian blockbuster is back in the headlines today, especially for its record-breaking budget in the country – and yet for its similarity to a certain saga called Dune…

Indeed, already at that time, according to Internet users, the Indian film was a little too similar to the Denis Villeneuve franchise, adapted from the novels of Frank Herbert, but “cheaper”. However, today we learn that its budget is not small, becoming the most expensive Indian film in history!

In an interview with Deadline, the feature’s star, Prabhas Raju, recently said that the film was aimed at an international audience, hence its phenomenal budget for an Indian production:The entire film was shot for international. That’s why the budget is the highest and we have the best actors in the country.“

Besides Prabhas RajuThe film also stars Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan in other lead roles.

What is it about?

Kalki 2898 Presented as a science fiction epic inspired by Indian mythology, set in the future in the dystopian society of the city of Kasi. The film traces a journey that spans millennia, from the events of the Mahabharata in the 1st century BC. Its plot revolves around the mysterious figure Kalki, the tenth and final avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu.

Nag AshwinThe director also spoke about his inspiration at the Synapse 2024 event in Gurgaon, saying:The movie starts with Mahabharat and ends in 2898. This covers 6000 years. We were trying to create worlds, imagine what they would be like if they were kept Indian and not look like Blade Runner.“

In the teaser released last year, the heroes of the film were facing a large-scale war, the shots also hinted at the main antagonist of the film without revealing his face. The project left more than one curiosity, but many noticed its similarity to feature films Denis Villeneuve.

In late May, the director released a video featuring the robot Buji (voiced by Keerthy Suresh), alongside the feature film’s protagonist Bhairava, who he plays. Prabhas Raju. It took the film team 4 years to create the robot, which was unveiled at an event in Hyderabad.

Reaction to the clip in which the actor is Buji Amitabh Bachchan announced: “When you work on projects like this, you never know what the end result will be. And as the days pass and clips and details emerge, you wonder how the director could have thought of it all. And the admiration never ceases. Now I complete this adventure with wonder and admiration.”

Originally slated to release on May 9, the film will now hit Indian screens on June 27.