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“Just three months more,” says mom-to-be Deepika Padukone in a witty reply when asked if she is still in her character of a pregnant woman from her coming film Kalki 2898 AD.
“The movie went on for about three years. So I was like, why not?” the actress said, flashing a radiant smile that adds to her glow.
The question came from Rana Daggubati, who graciously hosted the pre-launch event for his Baahubali co-star and dear friend Prabhas ahead of his latest pan-India biggie.
The star-studded gathering for Director Nag Ashwin’s ambitious Kalki 2898 AD was held in a hotel in Mumbai on Wednesday evening, setting the stage for exciting countdown to the film’s June 27 release.
Deepika and Prabhas were joined by Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, who form the stellar ensemble of the upcoming sci-fi drama.
In contrast to the film’s dystopian theme, Prabhas looked dapper in a black shirt, whereas Kamal Haasan wore a snappy beige-coloured jacket and a black cap.
Deepika Padukone was ultra glamorous in a body-hugging black number and high heels and her Piku co-star Amitabh Bachchan looked at ease dressed in a black hoodie paired with a comfy pair of trousers.
The extremely shy Prabhas said he has always been a fan of Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan and working alongside them in this film was ‘bigger than a dream.’
“The first time when I met Amitabh sir I touched his feet. Sir asked me not to do it. He said he would touch my feet as well. We grew up watching his films. He is the first actor to attract audiences across the country.”
The actor shares an anecdote of how he wanted to imitate Kamal Haasan after seeing his films, “When Sagara Sangamam came, I wanted to sport Kamal sir’s costume and asked my mom for it. In Indrudu Chandrudu, sir had a tummy. My cousins used to wear a cloth around their stomach and imitate Kamal sir. I am now working with him. This is something unbelievable.”
The film marks Prabhas and Deepika’s first collaborative project and the actor was all praise for her, “I always wanted to work with Deepika. She attained stardom across the globe. She is a gorgeous, beautiful, and a great actress.”
Oh, Prabhas does talk, and here’s proof. Even Deepika couldn’t resist saying, “He deserves applause for speaking more than just two lines.”
Nag Ashwin, best-known for directing the National Award winning 2018 biographical drama Mahanati, previously hailed Kalki as his passion project. The film marks the 50 years celebration of the Telugu industry’s prolific studio Vyjayanthi Movies. Producer C Aswani Dutt’s younger daughter Priyanka is married to Ashwin.
While the director couldn’t attend the event due to the film’s demanding post-production work, he conveyed his excitement in a video message.
He shared a peek into the dystopian future of the film and explained that Kalki is set in Kashi where the Ganga has dried up and people live in brutal conditions as all the major resources are sent to the Complex, controlled by Kamal Haasan’s tyrannical figure named ‘Supreme Yaskin’.
Kamal Haasan, who is known for his wacky get-ups in films like Indian and Dasavathaaram, shares the story of how he experimented with his look on his own as the antagonist of this film. He then realised that the Big B has already got it in his look, so he dropped the idea.
The senior actor then suggested donning a heavy armour suit but Prabhas had already got that one. He quipped that he would have tried Deepika’s look as well but didn’t want to be pregnant in the film.
Just why did Kamal Haasan take up the project? He tells us here.
Pointing towards her baby bump, Deepika reveals that Prabhas would feed everyone on the set “from his heart” and added, “Actually, I have become like this because of all the food he (Prabhas) has fed me.
“Every day Prabhas would bring food for all of us. It got to a point when it wasn’t just food coming from home, there was like a full catering service. Those, who know him well, know he feeds from the heart.”
After her speech when Deepika stepped off the stage, both Prabhas and Bachchan rushed forward to escort her. The Big B playfully chided Prabhas for beating him to it.
Producer C Aswani Dutt and daughters Swapna and Priyanka Dutt presented Amitabh Bachchan the first day first ticket of the film, as a long-running tradition of the Telugu film industry.
Bachchan thanked them and mentioned that Dutt is the “most simple and kindest” person he has met in his life.
He went on to touch Aswani Dutt’s feet.
Visibly surprised, Dutt reciprocated the gesture.
Amitabh buys the ticket and gifts it to Kamal Haasan:
Amitabh touches Aswani Dutt’s feet
When asked whom he would like to give the ticket to, Amitabh said, “I will give it to my colleague, my dear friend, my brother Kamal Haasan.”
While accepting the ticket, Kamal Haasan reminisced about waiting ‘three weeks’ to watch Sholay. He jokingly said that he wished this had occurred four to five decades ago during the release of the 1975 Hindi blockbuster.
“I waited three weeks to watch it. I never imagined I would be here receiving the first day first show ticket from Mr Amitabh Bachchan. I was a film technician then, and now I am an actor. Nothing has changed,” the superstar said.
