Director Nag Ashwin's mega-budget film 'Kalki 2898 AD' is all over the news. Thanks to its extravagant visuals and ambition, which make it a theatre watch. However, is Prabhas-starrer 'Kalki 2898 AD's' story impactful enough? When compared to the epic film, 'Baahubali', a film from the same film industry, 'Kalki 2898 AD' doesn't get certain aspects right, especially the drama.

Making of epic films [with a grand budget] isn't as easy in the Indian film industry. However, in recent times, two Telugu filmmakers - SS Rajamouli and Nag Ashwin - have managed to crack the deal to make such films, which has put the Telugu industry on a global map.

WHY WAS 'BAAHUBALI' MORE IMPACTFUL?

SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' was a drama film of epic propositions. What worked in the film is its drama. The filmmaker tapped into basic emotions of a human being, which made it a monumental film.

The 'RRR' director, whose budget keeps increasing with every passing film, makes it a point to concentrate more on human emotions.

Back in 2022, Rajamouli said, "Over the course of my career I learned that the stronger the emotions, or more basic the emotions, the more people tend to like your movie. That's what I have been doing. When I saw how 'Baahubali' was liked by the entire country, I realised that if films are based on stories driven by basic human emotions, they will have a wider reach."

This, by far, has been the mantra of all his films. Take, 'Baahubali', for example. It has all emotions - love, action, betrayal, friendship and brotherhood. When Kattappa kills Baahubali in a cliffhanger climax, you are shocked, and it's a question that made headlines for over a year.

Here's the trailer:

For a film that's done properly will keep the audience guessing and intrigued.

WHERE 'KALKI 2898 AD' LACKED

Director Nag Ashwin's 'Kalki 2898 AD', despite raking in Rs 500 crore in its opening weekend, has many niggles in the story. What worked in 'Baahubali' lacked in 'Kalki 2898 AD'. The film has everything - a potential story, mammoth budget and actors from all industries.

However, the film lacks drama. There are multiple subplots in the film, but you get a déj vu feeling. The incoherent screenplay makes 'Kalki 2898 AD' fall short of being an epic film like 'Baahubali'. The subplots in 'Kalki 2898 AD' aren't fully explored, but unnecessarily stretched in the name of world-building.

Here's the trailer:

Take, for example, Prabhas's introduction scene. We get how laid back Prabhas's Bhairava is. But, there's an extended fight sequence to mark his arrival. Similarly, when Amitabh Bachchan's Ashwattama and Prabhas's Bhairava meet, we get a marathon of action sequences. Though magnificently done, they are overlong. These set pieces act as a canvas to showcase the film's budget, but leave you with a lot of unanswered questions.

Even 'Baahubali' ended with the biggest unanswered question. However, it was done in a way that created curiosity. However, 'Kalki 2898 AD' ends on a more abrupt note.

The more you think about 'Kalki 2898 AD', the more questions arise, which leaves you with a bitter after-taste. The celebrity cameos, while they looked funny and elicited applause, hardly added value to the story.

Now, the wait for a sequel to 'Kalki 2898 AD' is long. Will it create an impact just like the 'Baahubali' films?