As a fashion designer, who runs her own brand, transitioning to designing costumes for Kalki has been a learning experience for Archana Rao. “Nag Ashwin has been a wonderful collaborator, showing immense trust in me. Designing the costumes and production for Kalki in 2898 AD was a very different challenge compared to Mahanati.
While Mahanati had historical references and older films to draw inspiration from, Kalki required building an entirely new futuristic world from scratch,” says the designer. For Kalki, they had to create a distinct visual language and aesthetic for the different settings — from the last civilisation of Kashi, full of slums, to the advanced, oppressive complex. “No direct references existed, so we had to consider how people would live and dress in these environments.
Establishing these contrasting visual identities was crucial to immersing the audience in Kalki’s dystopian future. It was a true test of our creativity to build this futuristic world from the ground up,” says Archana adding, “Nag Ashwin is the kind of director who truly believes in the people he works with and wants them to succeed, pushing them to exceed their own expectations. This supportive approach has been invaluable as I’ve transitioned from fashion design to costume design for films.
” When director Nag Ashwin first narrated the project to her, she was immediately intrigued, especially when he revealed that Amitabh Bachchan would be playing the role of Ashwathama. �.
