Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD blends futuristic age with mythology. The dystopian science-fiction action-thriller is inspired by the Mahabharata and the Kalki Purana, written by sage Ved Vyas and sage Agastya respectively. The trailer showcases Amitabh Bachchan as the immortal warrior Ashwatthama. Here’s a glimpse at the other characters from the Mahabharata who are linked to the Prabhas and Deepika Padukone-starrer post-apocalyptic magnum opus. (Also read: Kamal Haasan reveals the reason why he took a year to sign Kalki 2898 AD)
Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama was cursed by Lord Krishna for using the Brahmastra, a powerful weapon, against Abhimanyu’s wife Uttara, causing the death of her unborn child. As a lifelong punishment for mistakenly killing the sons of the Pandavas, he was cursed to live a tortured life. In the movie, it is portrayed as Ashwatthama’s redemption when he defends a pregnant Deepika, who is expected to give birth to the chosen one, believed to be the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, known as Lord Kalki, according to the Kalki Purana.
Uttara
Uttara is the wife of Abhimanyu in Mahabharata. The latter is the son of the Pandava warrior Arjuna and Subhadra (Lord Krishna’s sister). Uttara was hit by Ashwatthama’s Brahmastra when she was pregnant. Her son was born dead due to the effect of the deadly weapon. However, Lord Krishna used his mystical powers to bring back the baby boy to life. The son was named Parikshit (meaning the one who triumphs all exams and tests of life) by Krishna. The promo shows the sequence when Uttara is attacked by Ashwatthama. Malvika Nair plays the character in the epic action-saga.
Kripacharya
Kripacharya was the council member of Kuru Kingdom and the Guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He taught archery and warfare to the royal princes. Kripacharya took the side of Duryodhana against Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war. He is among the survivors of the Mahabharata and is described as an immortal who will remain alive until the end of the Kali Yuga, the last of the four yugas (age) according to Hinduism. Since, Ashwatthama and Kripacharya fought for the Kaurvas, there could be references and possibilities of them meeting at some point in Kalki 2898 AD.
Ved Vyasa
The author of Mahabharata, Ved Vyasa, is considered one of the immortals. Since he has written the ancient text and witnessed Ashwathama’s reign as a warrior, his references and presence are possible in the Prabhas-Deepika starrer.
Hanuman
Lord Hanuman is said to be an immortal after the boon he got from Goddess Sita according to Valmiki’s Ramayana. He is said to be present in the flag of Arjuna’s chariot and was protecting him from weapons of mass destruction. Since Kalki 2898 AD is about Lord Vishnu’s tenth incarnation, it is expected that Hanuman might be linked to the story, being his devotee.
Parashurama
Parashurama is considered one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, according to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, apart from being an immortal. He is also the Guru of Ashwatthama’s father Dronacharya and Pandava’s estranged elder brother Karna. He is considered among the first Gurus who became well-versed in the art for warfare in order to defend humanity from oppression by evil kings. Since Kalki 2898 AD connects the past with the future, there could be a reference to the warrior sage as well.
Agastya
Sage Agastya, who composed many hymns in the Rigveda, is also the author of the Kalki Purana, which inspired the concept of Kalki 2898 AD. In a film about Lord Vishnu’s final incarnation, it is crucial to mention the author who wrote the mystical text.
Kalki 2898 AD also features Disha Patani, Kamal Haasan and Saswata Chatterjee in crucial characters. The movie releases on June 27 worldwide.