Indian Blockbuster ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ Sets Japan Release, Sequel Timeline as Producers Eye World Expansion (EXCLUSIVE)

Nag Ashwin’s Indian sci-fi blockbuster “Kalki 2898 AD” is charting a course for international waters, with Russia and Japan next on its releasing itinerary.

The film is set to release in Japan in early 2025 through Twin, the distribution company headed by industry veteran Kabata Keizo. Twin previously released S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR” in Japan, where it became the highest grossing Indian film of all time.

The film is also set for a Russian release, with a dubbed version expected to hit theaters in the coming months. For China, which has previously been a fertile ground for selected Indian commercial titles, the producers are still exploring their options.

With a worldwide gross of $140 million, “Kalki 2898 AD” is the highest grossing Indian film of 2024. Set in a dystopian future, “Kalki 2898 AD” follows Bhairava (Prabhas), a powerful warrior with mysterious origins. As he navigates a world ravaged by war and environmental destruction, Bhairava becomes entangled in an ancient prophecy. Amitabh Bachchan plays Ashwatthama, an immortal being from the era of Indian mythological epic “Mahabharata,” while Deepika Padukone portrays Sumathi, a character who is pregnant with the unborn Kalki, an avatar of Vishnu. Kamal Haasan takes on the role of the antagonist Supreme Yaskin. The film blends elements of Indian mythology with futuristic technology, culminating in epic battles that span both physical and spiritual realms.

The film is produced by C. Aswani Dutt, Swapna Dutt and Priyanka Dutt for 50-year-old Indian banner Vyjayanthi Movies. It is showing at the Busan International Film Festival with Priyanka Dutt and Swapna Dutt in attendance.

Plans for a sequel, which include an epic face-off between the characters played by Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, are underway. “We’re definitely smarter than the last one. We know the world better. We’ll know the production better. We’ve already identified CG companies and stuff. The script is almost kind of locked, and we’ve shot 35% of the film already, so we’ll be much faster,” Swapna Dutt said.

“Kalki 2898 AD” represented a significant financial gamble for the producers. With an estimated budget of $72 million, it’s one of the most expensive Indian films ever made. When asked about their confidence in the project’s success, Swapna Dutt underlined their belief in the filmmaker’s vision.

“We trust Nag Ashwin a lot,” she explained. “He said, ‘Let’s climb a mountain.’ We climbed the first film [“Mahanati,” a biopic of top 1950s-1960s actor Savitri] and then the second one. He said, ‘Let’s bring an old actress to life,’ and we did along with him. This time, he said, ‘It’s Kalki’s birth.’ And we said, all in, let’s do it. He’s one of those very few filmmakers who contribute so much to cinema, who’s extremely honest in filmmaking. He doesn’t think anything except cinema while he’s making it. So it’s pure trust. It’s pure trust on him and the story he narrated.”

“Cinema itself is a gamble, so we are in it for a bigger gamble,” Priyanka Dutt added.

Regarding future instalments in the “Kalki” universe, Swapna Dutt hinted at expansive plans: “Primarily, I think with this setup, it’s these two parts, and then the spin-offs on what his head is spinning right now, only Nag Ashwin can tell us. He’s created a world. There could be lot of series, there could be animation, there could be comic books. There’s clearly a world, which is going to happen soon.”

Beyond the “Kalki” franchise, Vyjayanthi Movies is working on “Champion,” a period action love story set in 1955, directed by debutant Pradeep Advaitham. Additionally, they have “Aakasam Lo Oka Tara,” starring Dulquer Salmaan, a family-based love story directed by Pavan Sadineni. Both films will be completed and released before the “Kalki 2898 AD” sequel.