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Kalki opens with the Mahabharata war, showcasing Ashwathama’s confrontation with Krishna and the curse of immortality that follows. Amitabh Bachchan’s de-aged portrayal of Ashwathama, unfortunately, appears more animated than realistic, especially when contrasted with the real actors in other roles.
The narrative then leaps to the year 2898 AD, revealing a post-apocalyptic world. Here, we meet Bhairava, a lazy, non-serious bounty hunter whose attempts at humor fall flat. His backstory is poorly developed, failing to justify his distrustful and unhelpful nature. The first half of the film drags with long, inconsequential scenes that neither advance the plot nor effectively establish the world.
The heart of the movie revolves around Deepika’s character and her unborn child, prompting Ashwathama to awaken from a 6000-year hibernation to fulfill his redemption and protect them. Amitabh’s character fiercely defends Deepika from all threats, including Prabhas, another bounty hunter aiming to capture her for money (referred to as units in the film). Prabhas’s character is underdeveloped, only stepping into the hero role near the end with a brief, intense fight sequence.
While the first half suffers from weak writing, the second half improves, especially during the action sequences between Amitabh and Prabhas, and the final 25 minutes of the climax. Despite the lack of an emotional core, Amitabh adds gravitas to his performance and is the only character with significant acting scope. His portrayal of Ashwathama as an 8-foot-tall figure, reminiscent of Saif Ali Khan’s 8-9 foot Raavan in Adipurush, gives him a dominant screen presence. However, the supporting cast and numerous cameos add nothing substantial, instead disorienting the narrative from a serious movie-watching experience. Many characters appear and disappear with little emotional impact, leaving the audience barely acquainted with them before they are bumped off.
The dialogue is underwhelming, and the film’s biggest flaw is its music. The soundtrack is disappointing, with unbearable songs and only occasionally effective background music. It’s surprising that such a high-budget production chose a music director known for mediocrity.
Prabhas’s character arc should have evolved by the interval, but he maintains the same tone in the second half, disrupting the movie’s narrative flow. Among the actors, only Amitabh leaves a lasting impact, carrying most of the scenes and the film. Prabhas is mediocre but excels in action sequences. Deepika is fine but her character is flat. Saswata Chatterjee is unimpressive despite his substantial role, while Kamal Hassan is menacing and excellent, though his presence is too brief in this part 1.
Overall, Kalki is a decent one-time watch, mainly due to its second half and the last 30 minutes. It stands out more as a technical achievement than an emotionally compelling or fully satisfying cinematic experience. The entire movie could have been condensed into its first half, as it lacks sufficient substance to sustain a full-length feature. Eventually, Nag Ashwin gets some kudos for pulling off a movie for this genre on Indian screen.
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