The costumes in
Nag Ashwin
‘s ‘
Kalki 2898 AD
,’ featuring
Prabhas
,
Amitabh Bachchan
,
Deepika Padukone
,
Kamal Haasan
, and Disha Patani, have drawn attention not just for its blockbuster success but also for its sci-fi dystopian theme.
Costume designer
Archana Rao
discussed using innovative materials like rubber-coated neoprene fabric, aged mul cottons, and recycled materials to realize Ashwin’s creative vision.
Rao had previously worked with the director on two films, including ‘Mahanati.’
Vyjayanthi Movies
posted a video on their official X (formerly Twitter), featuring Rao discussing the creation of each character’s look in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ and her approach to building three distinct worlds using colors and fabrics. The film spans over three settings: Kashi, the first and last city of the world, the Complex, and the
Shambhala
kingdom.
Collaborating with Nagi has been incredibly smooth and comfortable for me. This marks our third project together, and it’s my first venture into such a large-scale sci-fi mythological film.
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The designer fondly remembered crafting Amitabh’s Ashwathamma look. When Amitabh first appeared in costume and makeup, he effortlessly embodied the character, bringing it to life in a deeply gratifying moment for her.
Crafting the costumes for ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ was a rigorous four-year endeavor for Rao, driven by the film’s expansive scale and intricate world-building. Without existing references, she innovated a futuristic aesthetic from scratch, meticulously shaping distinct visual identities for each setting. She emphasized the collaborative effort involved, working closely with production designer Priyanka, Swapna Nagi, DJ, and DOP. Together, they meticulously explored and imbued each world with a profound sense of Indianness.
The costumes for Kashi in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ were made from sturdy, non-biodegradable materials like plastic to mirror the setting’s resource scarcity and harsh conditions. Drawing from traditional Indian clothing like lungis and sarees, the garments were deliberately distressed to portray a weathered appearance. This approach not only served the characters’ practical needs but also vividly depicted the hardships of their environment.
The process involved exploring textiles, silhouettes, hairstyles, and makeup for each character and integrating them into the overall world-building. Each of the three distinct worlds was defined by a specific color palette. The Complex featured royal colors, jewel tones, black accents, and touches of red. Kashi predominantly used earthy tones, greys, browns, and distressed hues to reflect its rugged environment.
Rao discussed the difficulties in crafting the world of Kashi, particularly with the challenging fabrics she used. Despite their flammability, including plastics, polyesters, and other synthetics, she employed various distressing methods like painting and burning to achieve the desired look. It was a labor-intensive process that required hands-on involvement from everyone involved.
For Shambhala, Rao utilized colors derived from natural sources such as turmeric, flowers, and natural greens. After finalizing the color palette, the team focused on creating textiles unique to each world and developed distinct silhouettes to differentiate between them. This process marked significant growth for the costume team throughout the production of ‘Kalki 2898 AD.’
