FUTURISTIC VISION FOR KALKI 2898 AD

When shooting sci-fi action film Kalki 2898 AD it was crucial cinematographer Djordje Stoljiljkovic SAS understood how lighting interacts with the VFX that was be applied later and selected the right tools: light fixtures offering the necessary flexibility, power and effects. 

In the post-apocalyptic world of 2898 AD, the last known city of Kasi stands, dominated by Supreme Yaskin, a 200-year-old totalitarian god king who rules from the ‘Complex,’ an inverted megastructure that floats above the city. Directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, Kalki 2898 AD, the 2024 Indian Telugu-language epic sci-fi film, details a dystopian society where fertile female refugees in Kasi are forcibly taken for an experiment to produce a secretive serum for Yaskin. Rebels from the hidden city of Shambhala believe in the prophesied arrival of Kalki.  

Cinematographer Djordje Stoljiljkovic SAS (Anima, Sophia, Breaking Point: A Star Wars Story) appreciated the fresh new direction for Indian cinema and Ashwin’s visionary approach because “we were able to push the boundaries of how mythology and sci-fi could blend together, inspiring me to explore unique lighting techniques to match his ambitious storytelling”.  

Inspired by Hindu scriptures, it is the first installment in a planned Kalki Cinematic Universe. The film stars an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani. 

Originally announced in February 2020, the film’s production was delayed because of Covid and didn’t start principal photography until July 2021. Shot sporadically over the next three years in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, the film premiered in June in standard, IMAX, 3D and 4DX formats. Billed as “the most expensive Indian film ever made,” it has set multiple box office records for an Indian and Telugu film, becoming the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2024 and the fourth highest grossing Telugu film.  

Grateful to work with the talented director, Stoljiljkovic expressed his appreciation to “Vyjayanthi Movies for choosing me to be part of this incredible journey and for all the trust. Working in India with its rich cinematic history and a very dedicated and hardworking crew, was just an amazing experience. It gave me a chance to mix my style with the vibrant energy that Indian cinema is so well known for.”  

Depth and richness 

From the first conversation with Ashwin, it was clear they would need a whole range of lighting effects, including pulsing lights and lightning storms to fire effects, explosions and other dynamic lighting changes. “We were shooting everything from futuristic cityscapes and high-tech labs to epic battles, beautiful Italian landscapes, intense vehicle chases and heroic fights. Each setting felt like its own world and it really needed a different lighting approach,” he explains.  

Together with his gaffer Zoran Pecenkovic, they carefully selected the right tools to deliver the look that worked across all the different environments. Shooting entirely on the ARRI Alexa 65, with DNA lenses “added an incredible depth and richness to every shot. This setup gave us a special look and feel that really brought out the details and atmosphere that helped set the right mood for each scene. But, of course, beyond the camera and lenses, lighting was my main tool for bringing these worlds to life.”  

With Nanlux and Nanlite products in his arsenal of tools, “their flexibility really allowed us to shape the light exactly how we needed for each scene. We could control intensity, colour, temperature and effects easily through a DMX console which was a really great help. For the smaller sets, we used the Nanlink app which made it so much easier to make quick adjustments without dragging around heavy equipment”.  

For several scenes in the movie, Stoljiljkovic implemented hard sunlight as a backlight, often placing the light fixture directly in the frame as a practical light source. “The Nanlux 2400B was perfect for that. I was not surprised at how well we could control the lights, since I’ve been using Nanlux products for years now. The ability to dial it down to 1 or even 0.1 intensity was incredibly helpful.”  

Noting that flares can either enhance the shot or completely take over, “having that level of control allowed us to keep it balanced and artistic without overpowering the frame. The ability to precisely adjust the intensity of such a powerful light was crucial, as it meant we didn’t need to wait for additional ND filters or to reduce the intensity in other ways. It was done instantly on set.”  

On night shoots where they had to replicate the daylight on set, or when they wanted to create a subtle moon light effect, the Nanlux Dyno series became the go-to solution. Zoran and his junior gaffer Nishant Katari, and their team, built different kind of softboxes using the Dyno series. “These soft boxes provided beautiful sky fill light and gave us complete control over the lighting.”  

In a scene where a forest was recreated on stage, two Evoke 2400Bs were used along with two Dinolight 12kW fixtures as side sunlight. “I was really impressed by how well the Evokes held up next to the 12kW Dinolights. The Evokes could be plugged into regular electricity while Dinolights needed the big generator, which made a huge difference in terms of logistics. For the sky fill, we used our regular Dyno setup, which helped soften the contrast and create a more natural daytime atmosphere.” 

Shape the atmosphere 

Shooting a scene featuring Bani’s room on location in a college building brought its own set of challenges. The space was bright with white walls, and the team wasn’t allowed to make any significant changes like painting, darkening or aging the walls, which was necessary for that scene. “The idea was to create a strong keylight to shape the atmosphere for the scene. I used the strong shaft of light coming from a top window to produce the contrast I needed. We used six Evoke 1200s to achieve this effect and also some Dynos and PavoTubes for fill light at the ground level,” he explains. “For the night scene at the same location, “we used several Forza 60C for the display cases together with some Parcans 64, and our keylight was Dyno 1200 on the boom arm with honeycomb.”  

Stoljiljkovic’s thought process was to use stronger intensities to isolate the character from the bright environment. “We needed the effect of voltage drop, and for that moment, all the lights were controlled by the DMX and it was pretty easy to set the effects we planned.” The combination of classic fixtures such as the Dinolight 12kW, ARRI 24kW tungsten and HMIs, paired with the flexibility of the Evokes, Dynos and the rest of the Nanlux and Nanlite products “gave us a ton of creative options on set. Since we didn’t have a huge number of Evokes in one place, those traditional powerhouses like the Dinolights and the HMIs really stepped in to give us the strength we needed for those big exterior shots”.  

Another interior set was Yaskin’s room, in which the Evokes were used to create a well-known water effect by bouncing light off the practical water on stage. “Our key lights were Dynos positioned behind the circular windows and above the pool area. Our talented friends form the art department helped create a diffused element above the set, which interacted seamlessly with the VFX chandelier-like element in which we put several Dyno 650Cs, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the scene.” 

For the large-scale shots, Stoljiljkovic had to rely on the raw power of the traditional fixtures to achieve the look he was aiming for. “Next time, maybe we’ll get lucky and have, I don’t know, 30-40 Evokes lined up in a row. For now, I’ll just keep it in the wish list,” he laughs. In lighting the city of Kasi, they used a combination of Evokes and Dynos, together with plenty of Nanlite PavoTubes and Forzas for added versatility. “For sunlight effects, we turned to the Evoke 2400B, but during daytime shoots we needed something a bit more intense so we went with six Dinolights each at 12kW. Hopefully, next time we’ll swap this setup for some brand new Evokes, like the Evoke 5000, once it’s out.”  

Visual interaction 

In the scene which sees the Complex attack the hidden city of Shambhala, there is a shot where the villains are positioned right in front of the main Shambhala gates. The director wanted to create an effect of the gates melting as if the villains were using a laser or an advanced weapon. To achieve this on set, Stoljiljkovic and his team mounted several Dynos on a small Hydra crane to simulate the effect, creating a strong visual interaction for the VFX team to build on in postproduction.  

Additionally, they mounted several Dynos on the larger cranes, to serve as a moon fill light, effectively illuminating the vast space. They also used two Dynos 1200s at the top of the stairs to support the practical fires and on the ground level and around the set at higher angles, they placed several more Dynos to create additional fire effects. “We played extensively with fire effects using the Dynos to create realistic lighting that enhanced the atmosphere. Also, our Dyno box played a crucial role in helping the Mothership explosion interact perfectly with the explosion we later created in VFX.”  

Later in the story, Shambhala rebels heading back to their hidden city are ambushed by bounty hunters and raiders, including Bhairava, who remains in pursuit in his AI supercar, Bujji. For the scenes where Bhairava is driving, they had to shoot on bluescreen and create a convincing interaction with the environment they were supposed to be driving through. “To achieve this, we used a variety of lighting effects primarily from the Dyno series to simulate the changing lighting conditions and enhance the realism of the scene. A great feature of these lights is that they have a dust and water-resistant IP standard so we could use them without any special coverage, even in challenging conditions. It made our job much easier and we didn’t have to worry about the lights during the shoot in a rain or dust environment.” 

During a fight between the characters Ashwatthama and Bhairava and Desert Chase, the team had to use several different approaches depending on the shot range and the complexity of the scene. Since most of it was set in an environment similar to a desert, they needed a harsh sunlight look. “To achieve that, we combined an ARRI 24kw, Dinolights and Evoke 2400B, with additional support from our Dyno setup for fill light. Sometimes we used a great amount of 6kW space lights and ARRI SkyPanels. At one point, I remember we had over 1 megawatt of lights running, with five generators supplying the power. I’m sure we could have powered a small town with all that light.” 

For Stoljiljkovic, shooting a movie of such epic proportions put great demands on their collaboration with the VFX team. “In my opinion, when shooting a movie like this it is crucial to have experience in visual effects.  

“You also need to understand how the lighting interacts with the VFX that will be applied later, otherwise, it simply won’t work. To achieve these interactions, you also need the right tools: light fixtures that provide the necessary flexibility, power, and of course, effects. I found exactly that in Nanlux and the Nanlite range of products.” 

Extolling the hospitality and warmth of the people of India, Stoljiljkovic was appreciative of everyone he worked with. “In the end, you need a very creative and dedicated crew like the one I had. Indian people are incredibly warm, friendly and full of positivity, making every day on set an unforgettable experience.”