Touted as this year’s most anticipated cinematic spectacle, filmmaker Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD is set to entertain audiences with an ensemble cast of Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, Disha Patani, and of course, Amitabh Bachchan. The film promises to bring forth a unique tale of mythology blended with science fiction. Not too long ago, the makers unveiled a glimpse of Mr. Bachchan as Ashwatthama in the epic and audiences have been intrigued to learn more about the mysterious character who resembles his name with the son of Dronacharya and Kripi in Mahabharata.
Folklore has it that Ashwatthama is the fifth avatar of Lord Shiva. According to the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama’s name means “the sacred voice, similar to that of a horse.” He is named so because he cried like a horse at birth. Ashwatthama rose as one of the Mahabharata’s greatest warriors, fighting alongside the Kauravas against the Pandavas during the Kurukshetra War. Born with a divine gem on his forehead that gave him power over creatures below humans, Ashwatthama had to give up the gem when cursed by Lord Krishna
During the period, Lord Krishna cursed Ashwatthama with immortality as punishment for trying to kill Uttara’s unborn child. Being cursed, many believe that Ashwatthama still walks the grounds of Narmada Ghat and when you perform Narmada Parikrama, one will find the immortal Ashwatthama
Hence, Amitabh Bachchan’s character from ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ was revealed as Ashwatthama at Nemawar, emphasising the significance of the location in the narrative. Moving forward, exploring Ashwatthama’s character in the epic ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ promises to be an enriching experience for fans.
Speaking of Kalki 2898 AD, producer under the banner of Vyjayanthi Movies, the film is slated to release in multiple languages like Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi. It is being said that the makers will unveil the trailer soon.
