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Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD was released on June 27 this year. The film, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan built on the lore of Ashwatthama and Kali Yug. In an interview with So South, production designer Nitin Zihani Choudary revealed some interesting details about the film and its sequel. (Also Read: Nag Ashwin answers 5 burning questions about Kalki 2898 AD and its sequel)
There are 7 Complexes in the world
Kalki 2898 AD shows the Complex (an inverted pyramid structure with ample resources) led by Kamal’s Supreme Yaskin, situated in Kashi. Nitin revealed that there are 6 more such Complexes in Africa, Europe, America and other places. He also stated that all the Complexes are led by their own Yaskin.
Supreme Yaskin is not Kali per se
While many thought that Supreme Yaskin might be the personification of Kali, Nithin claimed that he was not Kali. He and the other Yaskins, in fact, report to Kali. The production designer also claimed that while the filmmakers haven’t figured out Kali’s appearance yet, ‘maybe he’s just a projection of Yaskin; he’s very abstract,’ he concluded.
The ending hints at this
Many have tried their best to decode the ending of Kalki 2898 AD, which is when Supreme Yaskin lifts a Brahmastra and recites a poem by Sri Sri. Nitin now claims that the idea behind the sage and oppressor was to make him like a ‘fallen god’. “It’s a negative shade of Krishna, the opposite of Him. You see similarities between them, and the ending hints at that,” said Nitin.
Rotting from the inside
Supreme Yaskin’s body has cracks all over it that glow from the inside. He also breathes with the help of pipes plugged into his body. Nitin called the character ‘old, fragile, rotten inside, yet powerful’. He also stated that the enlightenment Yaskin gains is on the ‘inside’ because, outside, ‘he’s just a shell’.
The world is upside down in Kalki 2898 AD
Usually, positive forces in mythology are expected to live in the heavens, while the negative ones live underground. But because it’s Kali Yug, Nitin explained that the world is upside down now. “You have a potent statue lifting the bad guys to heaven while the demigods like Ashwatthama live underground,” he said.
