With all the larger-than-life characters and their very humane tribulations, the symbolic and philosophical significance of the epic narratives, imaginative world-building, and pioneering concepts, the rich lore of Indian mythology boasts an untapped potential of expansive storytelling. This is all the more reason as to why director Nag Ashwin’s ambitious amalgamation of Indian mythology and dystopian epic in the form of Kalki 2898 AD is still making a buzz even nearly two months since its theatrical release. With grand visuals, a star-studded cast, and monumental scale to match the vision of a reimagined Indian mythos, the Tamil blockbuster has laid the groundwork for an interconnected universe. Kalki 2898 AD, as the first entry to the universe, proves to be a stellar addition to the unique subgenre of sci-fi/mythology mashup, the likes of which were popularized by Virgin Comics’ Ramayan 3392 AD.
Spoilers Ahead
War of Mahabharata and Ashwatthama’s Curse
The concept of yugas is important if you want to attain an understanding of the chronology and progression of Indian myth. According to established belief in mythological texts or Puranas, the history of the universe is divided into Satya, Treta, Dwapar, and Kali Yuga, arranged in descending order of the spiritual, moral, and ethical consciousness of the world. The supreme preserver deity, Vishnu, takes a total of ten reincarnations or avatars through varying periods across different yugas to protect the innocent and uphold the virtues of truth, freedom, and justice. The movie opens in Dwapar Yuga, in 3102 BC, during the concluding days of the epic Mahabharata war in Kurukshetra, a battle which was waged between brethren clans Pandavas and Kauravas and their allies. Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, the divine charioteer of the legendary Pandava warrior Arjuna, played a huge role as the master strategist for Pandavas and, through his wit, turned the tide of the battle.
As the opening credits showcase glimpses of major events in the Mahabharata war, the unbeatable master of combat arts, Dronacharya, fighting on the side of Kauravas, meets his end after lowering his guard in agony of losing his son, Ashwatthama, not realizing he was fed a lie concocted by the Pandavas to emotionally manipulate him. What made the event even more traumatic for Ashwatthama is the fact that Drona was slain by Dhristhadyumna, son of King Drupada, who was a close friend of Drona himself. At the end of the war, Ashwatthama, the only major survivor among the Kauravas, decides to take revenge on the Pandavas by ending their lineage and launches the divine-destructive Brahmashira astra using a blade of grass. His weapon is targeted at the late brave Pandava warrior Abhimanyu’s wife, Uttara, and her unborn child, who is destined to carry the Kuru dynasty lineage forward. Krishna’s interference saves the lives of the mother and her unborn child, and as a punishment for a crime so barbaric and heinous, Krishna curses Ashwatthama with immortality. His wait for death will be prolonged through millennia as his body, spirit, and mind give up. Ashwatthama will forever be doomed to witness the horrors of humankind, until the final moments of Kaliyuga, when, in order to atone for his sins, Ashwatthama will have to protect the unborn final and only avatar of Vishnu in Kaliyuga, known as Kalki. Krishna takes away Ashwatthama’s divine gem from his forehead, robbing him of his strength and vigor.
The Final Days of Kaliyuga: Complex and Project K
For the next six millennia, Ashwatthama helplessly witnessed humanity descending into the absolute lowest depths of moral and spiritual decadence as they waged war, created famine, orchestrated the Holocaust, ostracized people based on their differences, and exploited Mother Nature rampantly—and the vessel of humanity’s sins filled up to the brim. Even a morally corrupt warrior like Ashwatthama is shaken by the hellscape the world turns into and retires to a cave temple near Kashi to devote himself to Lord Shiva’s worship.
As the narrative focus shifts to the distant future of 2898 AD, humanity’s greed and sins have turned earth into a wasteland, and in the aftermath of the obliteration of all dividing signifiers like country, creed, and religion, there exists one truth, the Complex. With a governing body led by a god-like figure known as Supreme Yaskin, the complex has total control over the remaining resources of earth, and monopolizing them, it commands absolute control over the surviving, dwindling humanity. In the midst of the oldest and, at present, the last city in the world, Kashi, the Complex exists as a hovering, inverted pyramid-like monolith—the devils don’t arrive from underneath any longer; they descend from above. While humanity rages in anarchy, hunger, and agony, the complex has preserved a part of the old world like an oasis/utopia.
Yaskin is a rather malevolent, fearsome presence living as the prime ruler of the Complex for over two centuries, with his ascetic, transcendental appearance commanding respect and his gaunt, frail body, which barely contains the pulsating energy emanating within his human frame, hinting at his metaphysical capabilities. Abhorring mankind’s insatiable greed, warmongering, and exploitative tendencies, Yaskin had brought what was left of humanity to its knees and taken control over all remaining nature and resources. Yaskin seems to be obsessed with rooting out the defect within humanity, and to do so, he has initiated a secretive operation known as Project K. The supreme leader’s ulterior motive remains unknown, but as part of Project K, he has provided a specialized formula to his scientists, which is used to impregnate fertile survivor women whom Yaskin’s soldiers have rounded up from the outside wasteland. Yaskin seeks to extract a serum from the embryonic fluid of the survivors who have carried the fetus for a specified time period, but so far none of the women have survived nearly long enough for this to be viable.
Yaskin’s tyranny has found a natural opposition among the Rebels, who operate from their hidden base in the mystical land of Shambhala, a melting pot of old world cultures and beliefs. The people of Shambala believe in the prophecy of a savior god, Kalki, one who will take birth when the evil and malice of the world reaches its peak and deliver the surviving humanity its much-awaited freedom. Rebel leaders and agents constantly try to search for the prospective mother who will bring the savior to this wretched world, but to no avail. Project K’s main overseer, Yaskin’s chief enforcer, Commander Manas, ensures that the Rebels’ attempts to stage an uprising or find their mythical mother inevitably end in failure through his sadistic, brutal methods of subjugation.
Sumati the Mythical Mother and Bhairava’s Interference
Meanwhile, viewers are introduced to an opportunistic, street smart mercenary, Bhairava, one of Kashi’s infamous swindlers, whose only allegiance is towards his own self. Brought up in the care of another mercenary who intended to sell him for his own profit, Bhairava learned that the only true path to survival is to watch your own back. Accompanied by his only friend, his modular vehicle AI named Bujji, and armed with a horde of high-tech gadgets, Bhairava fights for whichever side pays him best and has no aversion to taking amoral stances whenever need be. Bhairava daydreams of entering the complex and spending his life spoiled by the amenities the place has to offer—but lack of funding is his biggest impediment to doing so. Still, he eventually gets a chance to spend time inside the paradise-like world of Complex, as his associate, Roxie, manages to filtrate the megastructure for quite a long time before both get promptly kicked out. Ashwatthama, on the other hand, gets possession of his divine gem, Shivamani, thanks to a Rebel kid, and gaining back his vigor and strength, effortlessly beats Yaskin’s soldiers, who were chasing the kid, to a pulp.
Inside the Complex, a test subject, SUM-80, later renamed by Rebels as Sumathi, is revealed to have survived more than the specified period of time after being impregnated with the mystical formula. Manas manages to extract a single drop of serum from Sumathi but fails to complete the extraction as a Rebel spy helps Sumathi escape from the complex. Proving herself to be the mythical mother from the prophecy, Sumathi walks through fire to escape the complex and gets rescued by rebel operatives. A mystical connection to Sumathi’s presence is sensed by both Bhairava and Ashwatthama. As Bhairava sees strange signs that convey his preordained duty and saves the people of Kashi, they hail him as Kalabhairava, the fierce protector god of the city itself.
Yaskin’s men eventually get wise to the fact that Sumathi is being escorted by the Rebels and chase them. Manas puts a hefty bounty on Sumathi, which prompts Bhairava and other notorious mercenaries from Kashi to engage in hot pursuit, all of them targeting the Rebels. However, Ashwatthama’s timely interference results in Yaskin’s men, the mercs, and Bhairava getting defeated, and the surviving Rebel leader brings Sumathi and Ashwatthama to Shambala.
Nature celebrates Sumathi’s arrival with a downpour, and the mystical Tree of Life, which has sustained the people of Shambala, blooms after a long time as miracles start taking place to convey her greater role in the context of universal balance. The leader of Shambala, Mariam, cordially invites Sumathi to get in touch with the lives of the people and showers her with warmth and care, something Sumathi had never received throughout her lifetime. She is obviously a bit overwhelmed by the grand welcome and all the talk of higher purpose, divinity; and add to that how she has been hounded by mercs and Yaskin’s soldiers, which resulted in the deaths of many. Sumitha gets flabbergasted, to say the least. Ashwatthama offers her some comfort by assuring her that he will stay by her side forever, not simply to fulfill his cosmic duty but as an empathetic soul.
Bhairava’s Awakening as Suryaputra Karna
Bhairava manages to trick a Rebel operative into letting him enter Shambala, as he has managed to make a deal with Commander Manas to lead Yaskin’s soldiers to the Rebels’ sanctuary in exchange for a place in the Complex. As the opposing factions clash, a vicious battle begins between the forces of Shambala and Yaskin’s troops, but eventually Manas manages to overpower them, resulting in only a handful of Rebels being able to flee the destruction of Shambala. Mariam sacrifices her life to protect Sumathi, and Ashwatthama manages to hold his ground while once again battling Bhairava, but this time Manas is able to keep him in leash with Yaskin’s entrapments, and he captures Sumathi in the process as well.
Ashwatthama’s staff, which was in reality the mythical Vijay-Dhanush of legendary Kaurava warrior Karna, son of the Solar god, is held by Bhairava, which transforms him into an empowered state, as it is revealed that he is Karna’s reincarnation in this Kaliyuga. A warrior who matched the strength and skills of the best warrior of the Mahabharata, Arjuna himself, Karna takes care of Yaskin’s forces within moments and promptly kills Manas, thereby bringing an end to the carnage and saving Sumathi. Ashwatthama marvels at the display of his old friend’s bravado, reliving the war of Kurukshetra when Karna had saved him from Arjuna. However, as Karna, Bhairava was in a trance-like state—and all of a sudden that breaks as he is brought back to reality. Bhairava prepares to escape with Sumathi, his bounty, and Ashwatthama tries to stop him, but this time his attempt fails. Sumathi continues to plead to Bhairava to not bring her back to the Complex, and it remains unknown whether the awakening has truly allowed Bhairava a self-realization or not, which will gain focus in the upcoming sequel.
What Is the True Identity of Supreme Yaskin?
Meanwhile, Wani, the right-hand man of Yaskin, brings him the serum extracted from Sumathi and conveys the update about her escape from the complex. The one drop of serum extracted from Sumathi instantaneously empowers Yaskin, transforming his feeble physique to that of a superhuman. The strength imbued by the serum also allows Yaskin to wield the recently found Gandiva, the legendary bow that belonged to Arjuna and so far was untouchable by mere mortals. Seemingly elevated to a godlike stature, Yaskin reveals to his subordinate that he himself will venture out to bring Sumathi back, as the child in her womb will allow him to rewrite reality itself—usher the world into a new age.
As Kalki 2898 AD ends, Yaskin’s origin, the source of his strength, the formula, and the serum—all the unanswered questions continue to bug viewers, and we will try to speculate multiple possibilities regarding the mystery. The most popular speculation is that Yaskin holds a portion of Kali’s strength. According to Puranas, Kali, as a prime antagonist of Kalki, will inevitably appear during the battle for the universe’s fate, and the entity has been fuelled throughout Kaliyuga with the negative emotions, death, and destruction brought upon the world by humankind. The formula Yaskin provided to be used as part of Project K is actually an essence of Kali, which has birthed his eventual annihilator, Kalki, in a roundabout way. According to the production designer of the movie, Nitin Zihani, Yaskin is not the only one of his kind, as there are a total of seven Complexes around the world with their own Yaskin-like enforcers, all of whom answer to Kali, who will reveal their true form when the time is right. Think of them as the gatekeepers of the seven circles of hell. With Bhairava and Ashwatthama eventually siding with humankind, seven Chiranjeevis are going to appear in the future, as prophesied in the Puranas, who will guide Kalki to bring about a new age. Aside from Ashwatthama, the six Chiranjeevis include Kripacharya, Parashurama, Hanuman, Bibhisana, Byasdeva, and Mahabali—legendary characters who have conquered death in one way or another. With such a heavyweight roster as opposition, Kali and Yaskin will bring the terrifying antagonistic figures—and we would not be surprised if Ravana, Duryodhana, Meghnad, or other legendary Asuras join the fray in the final showdown. We are also speculating that the end of Kaliyuga will usher the world in the light of Satyayuga, thereby maintaining the cyclical way of progression as highlighted in Indian mythos.Â
