Prabhas in Kalki 2898-AD teaser. (courtesy: YouTube)
It is no secret that Prabhas – one of the most popular actors in the country – is a man of few words. The notoriously shy superstar was his usual smiling but silent self during the Kalki 2898-AD panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. Prabhas was joined on stage by co-star Kamal Haasan, director Nag Ashwin and actor Rana Daggubati, among others to promote the film that was known to us until now by its working title Project K. Several videos of the team interacting with the crowd at the Comic-Con have gone viral on social media. In one such video, Rana Daggubati – whose company Spirit Media is the international marketing and distribution partner of Kalki 2898-AD – made an observation about his Baahubali co-star Prabhas that had the audience in splits.
The video shows Prabhas listening intently as Nag Ashwin explains how Kalki 2898-AD is based heavily on Indian mythology and culture while acknowledging the influences of past creations such as Star Wars. As Prabhas continues to only smile and not add to the conversation, Rana Daggubati chips in to say, “I told you about the man who stays quiet. He can pass this whole event without saying a word,” as Prabhas laughs.
Addressing the kind of big-budget, graphic-heavy films that Prabhas has been a part of in the past several years, including the Baahubali franchise, Saaho, Adipurish, and now Kalki 2898-AD, the superstar was asked if he was experiencing blue screen fatigue. To this, Prabhas said, “I got bored of it. Missed real sets. But I saw the teaser now and feel, ‘Okay, it's fine'.”
In the same clip, director Nag Ashwin was also questioned about the troupe of men dressed in all-black suits referred to as “Raiders” in the teaser. “They are the Indian version of Stormtroopers. Somebody will say it. So, I will say it first,” Nag Ashwin said, referring to the characters from the iconic Star Wars series.
In another video, Rana Daggubati welcomes Prabhas to the panel, saying, “After the biggest franchise is Indian movies, he consistently kept building big franchises, whether it is action, whether it is mythology, whether it is love stories and now with science fiction. And the reason that he is a star is not all of that but the kind, amazing human being that he is. That ladies and gentlemen is my friend and Rebel Star Prabhas.” The actor is seen then arriving on stage to thunderous applause.
Here are some images of team Kalki 2898-AD at Comic-Con:
The teaser of Kalki 2898-AD, released during the event in San Diego, offers glimpses into a dystopian world; one that is engulfed by darkness. The fight for goodness appears to be led by Prabhas' character with Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan on his side.
Kalki 2898-AD is slated to release in 2024.