Portraying ‘Kalki’ as Lab-Grown Fetus Child is a New Idea By Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Portraying ‘Kalki’ as Lab-Grown Fetus Child is a New Idea

By Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

'Kalki 2898 AD' movie has sparked an ‘Overenthusiastic Debate’ perhaps more extensive than any other movie in recent times. On the first day of its release, my daughter Prema Malini (Host of the Popular YouTube Channel 'Prema the Journalist') saw the movie and suggested us to watch it too. Normally, not in the habit of viewing movies frequently, we deferred, but when everyone we met expressed their surprise on our decision, we finally watched on July 4, 2024. We both thoroughly enjoyed the film, comfortably seated with ample leg space in PVR Cinemas theatre, over relishing with finger chips. My daughter accompanied us as usual.

By and large, audience judgement on the movie was favorable with sharp deviations. This is reflected more, based on audience familiarity of movies and frequency to watch films. However, some critically scrutinized every aspect, from display of titles to the selection of actors and their expressions, others like me, considered the movie as three hours one minute of entertainment and well spent time. Story, screenplay, music, songs, direction, action etc. aligned with our tastes.

'Kalki 2898 AD' has characteristics of ‘Dystopian Theme’ by and large. This Telugu sci-fi thriller is a mythological adaptation with necessary, suitable, and appropriate deviations fitting, fusing, and dovetailing into technological advancements. Against this context, this preliminary framework is neither a review nor a critical appraisal of 'Kalki 2898 AD,' but an informal, straightforward, objective, and evidence-based feedback, positive feedforward, and way forward. ‘Stray Thoughts’ that follow this brief, if and only deemed relevant, are for advantageous consideration to include in the forthcoming 'Kalki Part 2,' so that, such a very well-produced, and directed movie, would be little more meaningful and remarkable.

Produced by renowned production company, the legendary Vyjayanthi Films Celebrity, high profile C Aswani Dutt, and directed by young director Nag Ashwin Reddy, this Kalki film stars prominent actors like Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Rajendra Prasad, Pasupathi, Anna Ben, Shobana, among others. Key elements in the movie include Supreme Yaskin, the complex entry requiring a million units, Commander Manas, Counselor Bani, SUM-80 or Sumathi, Bhairava, Artificial Intelligence enabled Bujji, Ashwatthama, Maryam, and others. Bhairava's character played by Prabhas, shown as Karna during pre-climax.

The central theme revolves around Sumathi (SUM-80), pregnant through the ‘Lab Process’ supposed to be bearing the child being the most powerful future 'Kalki.' This is however, contrary to the Puranic References where it was professed that ‘Kalki’ would be a naturally born child to a mother, as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The story taken from Mahabharata, as shown in movie Kalki, depicted that Ashwatthama, who has no death, was ordained by Lord Srikrishna, to protect the fetus which would ultimately be his next incarnation. Antagonist ‘Supreme Yaskin’ is shown in the movie as planning to thwart this at appropriate time, and take the serum to inject to him.

In fact, in the climax of the first part, Supreme Yaskin injects himself with a serum drop from Sumathi's lab developed artificial womb, prior to her escape, transforming from an already super human to an even more formidable superhuman. His entire physical features changed drastically at once.  He then effortlessly lifts Arjuna's Gandiva kept at his abode, which none could lift before, declaring he will bring back Sumathi from Shambhala and reconstruct the world. Audience opinions differed on whether Supreme Yaskin is Kamsa uncle of Lord Srikrishna or Kali.

Arjuna's Gandiva was undoubtedly extremely commanding, but despite its legendary power, it failed in none other than Arjuna's hands itself, after Krishna's departure, illustrating importance of divine influence. Arjuna who fought single handedly the Kurukshetra War with the help of Gandiva, was unsuccessful in saving himself and his co travelers, when ordinary thieves attacked in one instance. How it will help Supreme Yaskin is a suspense in part two.

In Valmiki Ramayana it is mentioned that, pleased with the prayers of Swayambhu Manu, Lord Vishnu agreed to be his son thrice. Accordingly, when he was Dasharatha, he was born to him as 'Sri Rama’ in Tretha Yug, when he was Vasudeva in Dwapar Yug he was as Srikrishna to him, and in his third birth, in 'Shambhala village' in the fourth quarter of Kali Yuga, he would born as 'Kalki' to a Brahmin named Harivrata, the third life of Swayambhu Manu. Manu’s wife Sushila, in Lord’s three incarnations, would be Kausalya, Devaki, and Devapraba respectively. Kali Yuga spans over 432,000 years, out of which an estimated 5,125 years have passed. For the Kalki incarnation, still 426,875 years left. Criterion that Kalki will appear in 2898 AD itself is a suspense.  

In Vedavyasa (Also Bummera Potanna) Maha Bhagavatam, it is mentioned that Srikrishna saved Uttara’s (Wife of Arjuna son Abhimanyu) still born child from powerful weapon deployed by Ashwatthama. At the time of his birth, Lord appeared there in a thumb-sized form with a mace, spinning it to shatter the weapon and protected the child, the future 'Parikshit.' How meticulously this typical divine protection by 'Ashwatthama' (Amitabh Bachchan) would be portrayed is an intriguing aspect and suspense in Kalki-2. 

In reality, 'Kali' (The Anti God) is already in our midst. According to Bhagavatam, at the beginning of Kali Yuga itself Parikshit punished 'Kali' when he misbehaved and attempted to torture God Dharma while in the form of a Bull, and Goddess Earth when she was in the form of a Cow. Noticing this King Parikshit threatened to kill Kali, but lets him go when he begged for mercy. However, the impact of Kali continues and would cause the fall of Dharma. When Dharma completely disappears, Mukunda (Vishnu) would incarnate as ‘Kalki’ in the village of ‘Shambhala,’ as the son of a Brahmin named Vishnu Yasha (Also known as Harivrata in Ramayana). Riding a divine horse named Devadatta, he would destroy the unrighteous and sinful including ‘Kali’ with his sword to protect Dharma. Perhaps in the movie, 'Supreme Yaskin' might play this role of ‘Kali.’

After the Kurukshetra War in the Mahabharata, ‘Ashwatthama’ killed everyone in Pandavas Camp except Krishna, Satyaki, and the Pandavas. Draupadi wanted Ashwatthama's precious 'Jewel' (the one shown on the forehead of Ashwatthama in the movie) as retribution. Excepting Sahadeva, Pandavas and Krishna, went to fetch the Jewel from Ashwatthama, and after a brief but severe battle Ashwatthama dispensed with it on Ved Vyasa’s advice, but not before deploying weapon on Pandavas still born children, the heirs.  Krishna protected one (Uttara's unborn child) to preserve the Pandavas’ lineage. Krishna cursed Ashwatthama, saying he would wander for thousands of years without food, helpless, with bleeding wounds and a burning body. Seeing ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ in the role of 'Ashwatthama' in the movie 'Kalki' reminds one of Krishna's Curse. How that precious 'Jewel' reached 'Roy’ the girl in the movie 'Kalki' is a mystery!

The movie 'Kalki' weaves and dovetails the themes of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavatam into a cinematic narrative, adding elements of ‘Dystopian Fiction’ perhaps inspired by novels like HG Wells' 'The Time Machine' and Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World.' ‘The Time Machine’ by HG Wells is about a Victorian Scientist known as ‘Time Traveler’ who travels approximately 800,806 years into the future by using a vehicle purposely and selectively forward or backward through time. This resembles closely ‘Rumi’s Truck and Bujji.’ Science Fiction Novel ‘Brave New World’ is about ‘Human Cloning’ and embryos which are incubated to undergo ‘Genetic Engineering’ and conditioning to fit into predetermined ‘Social Classes’ or ‘Social Hierarchy’ and intelligence levels, reminding the Lab Developed and Grown Fetus of Sumathi.  

Overall, 'Kalki 2898 AD' may be described as a remarkable new experiment, and research-based film, with grand success. But Nothing Succeeds Like Success, and hope Kalki-2 will be that.