Nag Ashwin directed Kalki 2898 AD starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Shobana among others, is an upcoming mythology-based sci-fi action that is all set to release in theaters on June 27, 2024. Vyjayanthi Movies, the banner behind Kalki 2898 AD unveiled a 'release trailer' on Friday evening, and the video unleashes Kamal Haasan as the 'Thanos' of this story which is adapted from the Mahabharata-Kali Yuga lore. 

Kamal Haasan plays a villain named Supreme Yaskin in Kalki 2898 AD, and the Ulaganayagan had revealed during the pre-release event at Mumbai that he had come up with the look for his 'sage-like' bad guy character, and that he and Nag Ashwin had ensured that it didn't look similar of any of his other famous getups.

This revelation by Kamal Haasan was given a visual form with the Kalki 2898 AD release trailer. In the background of Lord Vishnu's 10th avatar Kalki trying to take human form via a pregnant Sumathi (Deepika Padukone) in the actual Kali Yuga i.e. 2898 AD, and the mighty yet cursed Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) giving it his all to ensure Kalki's birth, going against a technologically advanced bounty hunter named Bhairava (Prabhas), we get a glimpse of the sage-y Supreme Yaskin, who upholds a view quite similar to Marvel's purple villain Thanos. 

"No matter the number of generations, or the endless opportunities given, a human never changes, doesn't know how to change", says Kamal Haasan's Yaskin character in a raspy voice while floating in meditation, making everyone treat him like God. His chosen few followers live in an inverted pyramid complex, while humanity suffers below the complex in the last city of the dystopian world - Kasi*.

*According to Hindu scriptures, it is believed that the first form of civilization was found by the banks of Ganga in Kasi, hence Nag Ashwin has adapted Kasi as the last city of the world for Kalki 2898 AD

 

Kalki 2898 AD has Santhosh Narayanan for music. The movie gives a redemption arc for Ashwatthama, who was cursed by Lord Vishnu's eighth avatar Lord Krishna, for attacking Uttara's (Malavika Nair) unborn child with his Brahmastra, during the Mahabharata war [Krishna is famously known to have revived Uttara's stillborn baby, who was then named Parikshit (meaning he who has been tested) and brought up by Krishna's sister and Arjuna's wife Subhadra].