Kalki 2898 AD, the Nag Ashwin directorial hit the big screens on June 27, 2024. The movie, which stars Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan in the lead roles, has been receiving immense love from the audience for the exceptional making and performances. However, the first half of the film, especially the romantic sub-plot of Bhairava and Roxie, the characters played by Prabhas and Disha Patani, has been receiving so much criticism. It is indeed the classic case of forced romantic sub-plots that serve no purpose.

*Mild spoilers ahead*

Kalki 2898 AD and the forced Bhairava-Roxie romance

The weakest link of Kalki 2898 AD, which is otherwise an engaging watch, is the forced romantic sub-plot of protagonist Bhairava and Roxie, played by Bollywood actress Disha Patani. The sub-par writing and execution of the couple’s love story, which has absolutely no connection with the main plot of the film, made the otherwise engaging narrative hit a roadblock. The character Roxie’s only purporse in the film is to take Bhairava to the Complex for the first time.

However, the duo is seen breaking into a colourful song, which comes out of nowhere. Sadly, the popular actress’s character entirely disappears from the film and the viewers instantly forget her, just like Prabhas’ Bhairava. The first half of the film would have ended up as almost as impactful as the second half, if the forced romantic sub plot of Bhairava and Roxie was edited out. The half-baked attempt at romance simply takes away the viewers from the main plot momentarily, diluting the impact of the effective opening sequence.

It is disappointing to witness how the Indian cinema’s mainstream filmmakers are still forced to include some fan service in their otherwise content-driven films. It is mandatory to have some fan content in most of the mainstream films, in the form of a heroine who has no purpose, and a glamorous song sequence. Disha Patani’s character can also be considered as a cameo, that had no impact. The artificial dialogue delivery of the actress and the lack of chemistry between the pair, made things worse.

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