Bujji and Bhairava season 1 review: How Prabhas' animated series prepares audiences for Kalki 2898 AD

Filmmaker Nag Ashwin created a two-part animated prelude, titled Bujji and Bhairava , to his upcoming sci-fi epic, Kalki 2898 AD, starring Telugu superstar Prabhas and Keerthy Suresh. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on May 31st, nearly a month before Kalki's release.

The animated series is a smart way to promote the film and help audiences acclimatize to the characters, rules, and motivations that drive the actions in the fantasy world dreamt up by Nag Ashwin.

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World-building in filmmaking is fraught with challenges, particularly convincing the audience to suspend their disbelief. While it's a piece of cake to convince the audience that Prabhas can singlehandedly slay an army of 200 men without running out of breath, it gets tougher to make them buy into the possibility of him wielding a robotic super vehicle in a dystopian setting.

Even ardent fans of over-the-top commercial entertainers become discerning while watching an Indian sci-fi movie. It's safe to conclude that Indian audiences are ready to believe in any narrative as long as the director makes it visually convincing. This is easier said than done in a budget-conscious industry like ours.

Filmmakers who attempt sci-fi movies often rely on the good nature of the audience to forgive their substandard visual effects and hope to be appreciated and rewarded for their grit, intention, and passion to make an ambitious movie on a budget. Well, for a paying audience, the behind-the-scenes efforts and emotions don't matter if the movie fails to provide them with an engaging visual and auditory experience.

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Nag Ashwin doesn't have to worry about that. Kalki 2898 AD's teaser trailer revealed uncompromising visuals that make suspension of disbelief easier for the audience. The animated series Bujji and Bhairava showcase cutting-edge ideas that equip this film with a unique advantage over other Indian sci-fi movies. The series' high-quality animation further elevates the experience, creating a cinematic universe for Kalki with a high-production sci-fi aesthetic.

Bujji and Bhairava is rich with classic themes and ideas of a dystopian future, sparking our imagination. Nag Ashwin infuses the world with pop culture-laced humour. Even though the series is full of fantastical gadgets, vehicles, and living conditions, Nag Ashwin's writing and storytelling style make navigation effortless and enjoyable.

After a long time, Prabhas plays a character that doesn't take itself too seriously. The narrative sits lightly within this expansive world, foreshadowing exciting things to come. And Bujji, a fist-sized robot written with such light-heartedness and conviction, opens up this cinematic world to great possibilities.

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