Senior Actor Suman Slams “Kalki 2898 AD”: Insights into Characterization, Snail-paced Narrative, and Prabhas
The much-talked-about action spectacle “Kalki 2898 AD” has inscribed its name in Indian cinema history with box office collections crossing ₹1000 crores, earning both critical acclaim and critique. The Nag Ashwin-directed mythological futuristic drama features an ensemble cast involving stalwarts that include Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone. Audiences have engaged in heated debates over the film. While being praised for its vision in storytelling, murmurs have been expressed over its pacing and character utilization.
Guest Roles as a Minus
Senior actor Suman shared some candid reflections in an interview with a leading YouTube channel on the topic, “Kalki.” He expressed disappointment over not featuring in the film. “What role was there for me in Kalki?” Suman explained, “I watched the movie, and I couldn’t find a role that suited me. Many appeared in guest roles, and I didn’t want to be one of them. When you play a character, it should leave an impression. With so many stars involved, there are high expectations. If the film doesn’t meet those expectations, then fans will be disappointed. In fact, one common mistake is that filmmakers cast stars to draw audiences into theaters, but when those stars have minimal screen time, it leads to disappointment.”
Pacing Concerns in the First Half
Suman did not hesitate to talk about the movie’s problems concerning the pace, especially during the first half. I love mass movies. To be frank, the first half was draggy to me. They could have trimmed at least half an hour. Especially the song and fight of the Bombay heroine were irrelevant to the story,” he said. The review shows a general feeling that has been shared by viewers—these sequences should have been forwarded and got out of the way for the smooth flow of the story.
Prabhas’s Characterization and Screen Presence
Suman, who is known to admire mass entertainers, also shared his views on Prabhas’s portrayal in “Kalki.” He said, “I like Prabhas very much, and, personally, I felt that his character needed to come across like Tarzan because of his hulk—-after all, he is that kind of a hulk. He should have shown him like that, but he used plates and Shields. We have already seen that in ‘Baahubali.’ So, I kept waiting for any scenes which could reveal Prabhas’s muscles, and there was nothing.” This observation underlined the expectation of fans from a star like Prabhas—to see him in roles that would emphasize his body and flesh out his image on screen.
Directorial Vision and Hollywood Influence
He attacked but at the same time did appreciate the directorial vision of Nag Ashwin and the novelty in the film. He said, “In my opinion, I salute the director’s vision; he has introduced Hollywood-standard filmmaking to our Indian industry.”. But, on-screen, Amitabh Bachchan’s role is very dominating.” He added praises to the film for its ambitions and the director’s ambitions to push boundaries in Indian cinema, even though there were considerations on character prominence and narrative balance.
Nuanced insights are drawn into “Kalki 2898 AD,” a film that has dazzled and polarized audiences right at the fore, bringing out the difficulties in reconciling star power, narrative coherence, and audience expectations in today’s Indian cinema. While debates begin, how the outcome of this film will affect the future course that the industry will take remains to be watched and debated.
