1 Year of Kalki 2898 AD: Prabhas’ Kalki 2898 AD, which was released a year ago, elevated Indian cinema, both literally and figuratively, to an entirely new level. Directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, the film shattered box office records and redefined artistic boundaries in Indian filmmaking. As the sci-fi epic marks its first anniversary, we revisit how sheer creativity, vision, and bold ambition brought this monumental project to life.

When Nag Ashwin set out to create Kalki 2898 AD, he didn’t just aim to make a film; he built an entire universe. He imagined every detail from scratch, crafting immersive worlds like the mystical realm of Shambhala, the high-tech dystopian Complex, and the decaying, post-apocalyptic city of Kashi. His team designed every inch of these environments to reflect a mythologically rooted world set 800 years in the future.

Production designer Nitin Zihani Choudhary led the design efforts, ensuring that each location felt authentic and visually gripping. At Ramoji Film City, the crew built massive real-scale sets, giving actors a tangible world to inhabit. “We wanted the world to feel real, not fake. It had to feel lived-in,” Ashwin said in a behind-the-scenes video. The team later enhanced these sets with layers of visual effects, blending practical architecture with digital augmentation to create seamless, hyper-realistic environments.

VFX Vision By Nag Ashwin:

To bring Nag Ashwin’s vision to life, DNEG, Embassy VFX, and partners like StealthWorks, Folks, Lola, and Pixstone dedicated countless hours to the project. These teams crafted over 700 VFX shots, setting a new benchmark for visual storytelling in Indian cinema. They designed every frame to meet global standards, featuring advanced weaponry, tech-suspended cityscapes, futuristic flying vehicles, and robotic creatures.

The teams pushed creative boundaries by using motion capture, digital doubles, and real-time rendering to enhance realism and immersion. But they didn’t focus on scale alone; they paid close attention to texture, lighting, and the balance between epic grandeur and raw grit. As a result, every visual felt grounded and believable, never overly stylized.

Prosthetic Makeup Detailing:

In Kalki 2898 AD, the actors didn’t just play their roles; they fully became their characters. Notably, the film’s prosthetics work stood out as a major highlight. Behind the scenes, artists dedicated countless hours to transform Amitabh Bachchan into Ashwatthama, applying complex prosthetic makeup daily to achieve his mythological, battle-worn look.

Furthermore, prosthetics experts like Preetisheel G. Singh, Sonya Batra, Gabriel Georgiou, and Chidanand Kulal crafted everything from futuristic eye enhancements to textured, weathered skin. They seamlessly blended mythology with sci-fi, using their skills to build striking mythological and extraterrestrial appearances that elevated the film’s visual narrative.

In addition, for Bhairava, the team gave Prabhas a unique look, pairing rugged accessories and layered costumes with a design that fused Indian tradition with Mad Max-style grit. Ultimately, the prosthetics and styling played a vital role in defining his character’s arc, adding a distinct visual identity that made every close-up shot impactful.

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Costume Design of Kalki 2898 AD:

The costume design firmly anchored the future plot of Kalki 2898 AD. To achieve this, the team painstakingly crafted each character’s attire to reflect their environment. For instance, residents of the Complex wore crisp, structured synthetic fabrics, while rebels donned ragged gear assembled from salvaged materials. The designers used clothing not just as fashion, but as a powerful storytelling tool.

Leading this creative effort, Archana Akhil Kumar Rao, along with a talented team, Thota Vijay Bhaskar, Shaleena Nathani, Sahithi Patha, and Aparna Shah, brought the film’s wardrobe to life. To capture the cultural and textural richness of the year 2898, Rao developed a unique visual style called “Spicepunk,” an Indian interpretation of cyberpunk. Moreover, the team used innovative materials such as foam-latex, printed mull cotton, and rubber-coated neoprene to build this futuristic aesthetic. Ultimately, from Supreme Yaskin’s sterile robes to Bhairava’s rugged armor, they made every design choice with purpose and immersion in mind.

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