Kalki 2898 AD Explained: 4 key money lessons to learn from Prabhas and Deepika Padukone’s film

Kalki 2898 AD released in theatres in India on June 27, 2024 to a rousing reception. The movie has a stellar cast that includes Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Saswata Chatterjee. 

The film's box office collection was a whopping ₹95.3 crore on day 1 but dropped significantly on day 2. 

Utopian Shambala protected by a Star Wars like force field is praying to James Camero’s Avatar tree of life while the rest of the world has turned into a Mad Max desert. Everyone is waiting for a saviour to be born while the Supreme is looking to get stronger just like Voldemort.

The story of Kalki 2898 AD is also borrowed from the Mahabharata, and I’m sure the person who added the inverted pyramid to be the ‘Complex’: the home of Voldemort, has studied marketing. So what money lessons can we learn about this multi-starrer desi sci-fi hotchpotch with decent special effects?

Bhairava, played by rebel star Prabhas is like flexi cap funds

Kalki 2898 AD's Bhairava is a bounty hunter, ready to seize every opportunity to earn credits that will help him get an entry to ‘The Complex’ where everyone is rich, there is plentiful food and drink and as he says, ‘I want to live by the sea’.

Bhairava is multitalented. He has created his robot companion Bujji from scrap and she comes in handy when Bhairava needs to defend himself against Ashwatthama. He sweet-talks people into giving them their drink, he even uses his choices to side with the commander of the evil forces to help reach his ultimate goal of reaching the Complex.

Flexi cap funds are also similar, isn’t it? Just like Bhairava is ready for all opportunities, flexi cap funds also invest in companies across all market capitalizations. Flexi cap funds do not discriminate in the size of the companies they invest in, which gives them greater flexibility to react to the market opportunities.

Deepika Padukone is Sum-80 just like small cap funds

There’s a general tell in South made movies: their women characters are almost always portrayed as damsels in distress, and ideally virgins. Deepika Padukone in Kalki 2898 AD is also someone who is a virgin, pregnant with the promise of a God who will save humanity. The writers give her just one job: carry the baby to term while looking scared. Why? Because everyone else will save her.

Small cap funds also come to us with that one promise of a big payday. Small cap investors are attracted by the growth opportunities which they believe will help beat institutional investors.

And just as female warriors like Kyra and Manam risk their lives to save Sum-80, you too, dear smart investor must understand the risks and volatile nature of small cap funds when you invest your hard earned money.

Amitabh Bachchan is the giant Ashwatthama, your large cap funds

Amitabh Bachchan’s war began during the Mahabharata and in the future, and he’s still ready and able to fight when the world needs a saviour again. He waits patiently and uses his experience to fight newer adversaries, because his purpose is clear. The stone that young Raya gives him begins to shine and fits into his forehead like the third eye.

Large cap funds are like him, isn’t it? You invest in them for a long time, and they are mature, steady, unwavering in their returns. You are not looking at short term gain, but are invested in generating wealth with large cap funds.

‘The Complex’ is like your retirement plans

Sure, the inverted pyramid that looms over the desert city called Kashi is the abode of the evil army of the Supreme leader Yaskin, but it has everything every person dreams about. The Complex has the best technology, the rich live there, there is greenery and plentiful food. The sea is pristine and the air clean. Bhairava’s goal in life is to collect enough credits to go and live a life of comfort in ‘The Complex’.

Bhairava in this aspect is not unlike you or I, dear smart investor. We save as much as we can so that we live out the retirement years happily. Pension plans, annuity plans or other investments that mature in time for you to live comfortably. Of course you consider putting away money for medical needs as you grow older, and yes, who doesn’t dream of living by the sea?

The film runs for over three hours and even though it has an annoying undertone of misogyny, tiresome rehashing and incessant explanation of mythology, you have plenty of time to wonder why Disha Patani appears and disappears, why RGV and Rajamouli show up and if Dulquer Salman sniggered like an adolescent (as you did) when he said ‘Gandeev’.

Manisha Lakhe is a poet, film critic, traveller, founder of Caferati — an online writer’s forum, hosts Mumbai’s oldest open mic, and teaches advertising, films and communication. She can be reached on Twitter at @manishalakhe.