Nag Ashwin's dystopian sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD has garnered significant praise for its immersive and imaginative worldbuilding, drawing comparisons to the Harry Potter franchise. However, in an interview, Nag clarified that Harry Potter wasn't an inspiration; instead, two other Hollywood movies were.
Nag's Inspirations
When asked if Marvel's Iron Man franchise influenced Kalki 2898 AD, Nag said, “We grew up watching Marvel films. I would say Guardians of the Galaxy was more of an influence than Iron Man. Definitely, Star Wars is a huge influence. I love Star Wars, so that is subconsciously a part of my aesthetic.” He further revealed that Harshith Reddy's character Luke was inspired by the popular Star Wars character, Luke Skywalker.
However, Nag denied any influence from Harry Potter, particularly for Kamal Haasan's look as Supreme Yaskin, which some believed was modeled after Lord Voldemort. “Our references were these old Tibetan monks, who are supposed to be 120-130 years old. Sir (Kamal Haasan) was always mentioning the portrait of Dorian Grey (from Oscar Wilde's 1890 philosophical novel The Picture of Dorian Grey). That was sir's inspiration. We didn't have many movie references for that ancient look,” Nag explained. He did acknowledge that perhaps the only Harry Potter reference was Vinay Kumar's character Sirius, taken from Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman in the movies.
About Kalki 2898 AD
Kalki 2898 AD has cruised past the ₹800 crore mark in worldwide box office earnings, with ₹500 crore domestically. Touted as the most expensive film produced in India with a reported budget of ₹600 crore, the mythological and sci-fi action drama was released globally on June 27 in six languages: Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and English.
Produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, Kalki 2898 AD boasts a star-studded cast, including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Prabhas, Saswata Chatterjee, Shobhana, and Anna Ben among others.
The film, originally titled Project K, showcases Nag Ashwin’s creative prowess, blending mythological elements with futuristic sci-fi, creating a cinematic experience that has captivated audiences worldwide