Tollywood star Prabhas turned 47 on October 23, and wishes poured in from the filmmakers he’s collaborated with to fans from across the globe. Director Nag Ashwin, who directed him in the 2024 sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD, had a surprise in store for fans. Releasing Prabhas’ return to the franchise as the bounty hunter Bhairava, Ashwin wished him a happy birthday.
Prabhas’ first look from Kalki 2898 AD sequel
On Prabhas’ birthday, the team of Kalki 2898 AD posted a video to commemorate the actor. “To the superhero of Indian Cinema…Happy Birthday to the Darling of every generation, Rebel Star #Prabhas. We are excited to embark on another epic cinematic journey with you…#Kalki2898AD,” read the caption.
The 32-second video shows the crew preparing a blue-screen set for Bhairava’s return. ‘Bhairava is back’ reads the text on screen as Prabhas sets foot on a carefully put-up set. He wears the armour that has now become his character’s trademark and sits in his vehicle, Bujji, as Ashwin says ‘action’.
The promotional video does not reveal Prabhas’ look fully yet, showing him only in silhouette as he stands atop an elevated structure. ‘Happy Birthday Bhairava’ reads the text as we get a closer look. With long hair and a beard, Prabhas gets back into the skin of the bounty hunter.
“Adi em screen presence ra babu (What is that screen presence),” commented one excited fan with a screenshot of Prabhas’ silhouette. “Aura chuduuuu asalaaaaa (Look at his aura),” wrote another. “Waiting eagerly for the rampage,” wrote an excited fan, while several others commented with GIFs of Prabhas as Karna in the first film.
The Kalki 2898 AD sequel
Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, who play Ashwatthama and Supreme Yaskin, have also returned to sets for the Kalki 2898 AD sequel. Deepika Padukone, who played a pregnant test subject named SUM-80, aka Sumathi, in the first part, has since exited the project. While Sai Pallavi and Alia Bhatt’s names circulated as her replacements or for new parts, Ashwin clarified to Variety India in September that no new characters are being added, without revealing who replaced Deepika.
Kalki 2898 AD is set in a dystopian future in which resources are pooled by the Supreme Yaskin while the rest of the world suffers. A utopia named Shambhala tries to fight against this, believing that the birth of a saviour will soon save the day. Ashwatthama protects SUM-80, believing her unborn child to be the future avatar of Kalki. The film ends with a major reveal: Bhairava is Karna reincarnated. The sequel will pick up where the first part left off.