SDCC 2023: Indian sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD brings Hall H into the 'Spice Punk' future

"What is Project K?"

It was the question on everyone's minds today as they entered Hall H at San Diego Comic Con 2023 for the mystery presentation Vyjayanthi Movies had in store. Already there was a special buzz about the project; this would be the first major Indian film to appear at a Western comic con.

Then they played the trailer, and that buzz turned into a boom.

Project K was revealed to be Kalki 2898 AD, an upcoming blockbuster featuring a mix of crackling science fiction and epoch-shaping mythlogy. After the trailer dropped, Vyjayanthi Movies put out a press release which had this to say about the movie:

"Directed by Nag Ashwin, Kalki 2898 AD boasts stellar performances from Deepika Padukone, Prabhas, and Kamal Haasan. With support from Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media, this cinematic event promises a captivating story set in a futuristic 'Spice Punk' world."

"Spice Punk," by the way, is defined by Strange Horizons as "recent-ish wave of speculative fiction and fantastical arts, countering Western(ised) hegemonic modernity with alternative visions anchored in Southeast Asian heritage and history."

Check out the trailer for yourself here:

Though the trailer had plenty of action, emotion, and gripping special effects, it was (purposefully, one assumes) light on plot details. Accoording to the film's IMDb page, the film is about "A modern-day avatar of Vishnu, a Hindu god, who is believed to have descended to earth to protect the world from evil forces."

Beyond that, we'll have to wait to learn more about the plot of the film that was once Project K. Fortunately, we won't have to wait that long.

Kalki 2898 AD hits theaters January 12, 2024.

Popverse saw it and did most of it, and you can find all about our guide to All the big news, magic, and moments from San Diego Comic-Con. And if you want to go to SDCC next year, we have the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 dates as well.