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Did Prabhas Hesitate Over His Sardar Look in Kalki Song Bhairava Anthem Alongside Diljit Dosanjh?
Actor Prabhas's portrayal as a Sardar in the song "Bhairava Anthem" from the upcoming film Kalki 2898 AD, alongside Punjabi actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, has been well-received by fans. Choreographer Pony Verma, who orchestrated the song, recently revealed the challenges and inspirations behind it. Initially, Prabhas hesitated about adopting a Sikh avatar due to his significant South Indian fanbase.
Verma shared that she was impressed with Diljit's look at the international music festival Coachella, which inspired her to envision a similar look for Prabhas in "Bhairava Anthem". She said, “I thought he (Prabhas) will look amazing as a Sardar. I told my producers about it, but they were like, 'This is the promotion of Kalki, why are you making him a Sardar?' They said this does not go with our film, so I said this will be like a cherry on the cake when they walk as Sardars with a swagger.”
She continued, “Diljit immediately liked my idea… Prabhas was like, ‘Are you sure?’ Then there was a thought that South people shouldn’t feel bad. So I said they won’t. This is a culmination. This is a positive approach that North and South are coming together.”
Balancing the expectations of both Diljit and Prabhas’s fans from North and South India was a significant challenge. Verma explained, “North shouldn’t feel like they are given more importance, and South shouldn’t feel like they are given more importance; both should look at par. That was the biggest challenge for me.”
Verma added that Diljit was concerned about Prabhas’s superstar status overshadowing him. “Diljit was thinking that Prabhas is a big superstar, so he must not get suppressed. Prabhas shouldn’t feel like Diljit has more lyrics, so he is getting surpassed. I just told Diljit that you have come here like a king, and I will see to it that you look like a king. Prabhas has a huge fan following, and he is a big star, so if we do something that goes against his image, his fans will make my life difficult.” She noted that both Prabhas and Diljit were pleased to meet each other.
Meanwhile, Kalki 2898 AD has emerged as one of the biggest films of 2024. The Telugu film, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan, has earned a staggering Rs 700 crore worldwide in just one week. The film’s production house, Vyjayanthi Movies, confirmed that it has surpassed the Rs 700 crore mark in its opening week.
Set in a dystopian future, Kalki 2898 AD revolves around four central characters: Sumathi (Deepika Padukone), a pregnant woman carrying a child believed to be the 10th avatar of Vishnu; the immortal Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan), tasked with protecting the unborn child; the ruthless villain Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan), who wants the child dead, knowing it will be his downfall; and Bhairava (Prabhas), a bounty hunter willing to sell anyone for money.
- PTC PUNJABI
