This 2015 epic action film directed by SS Rajamouli brought Indian cinema on the world map. With an ensemble cast led by Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and A-listers like Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah. Ramya Krishnan, Baahubali became a two-film series that exploded the box office.
Baahubali drew from Mahabharata and the tales of Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama.The film's score, VFX and it being the most expensive Indian film at the time of the release with massive investment in production design, made it a phenomena film.
The big-budget ensemble film became the first Indian film to be nominated for American Saturn Awards. It also won National Film Awards and changed the entire box office, and big event film game in India for all industries.
Another period-action drama from Kannada language, 'KGF 1' almost became a sleeper hit. Another ensemble cast led by Yash, this Prashanth Neel film also changed the big-event film viewing experience post COVID-19.
KGF 2 was quite anticipated and the most expensive Kannada film to be made. With grand cinematography and an even bigger story that 'KGF 1', the former film was a blockbuster in all languages.
The film was praised for its action, cool set pieces, entertainment factor, attention to details and the famous translation of the myth of Kolar Gold Fields into a grand spectacle on the silver screen.
This Nag Ashwin film, led by Prabhas, established the fact that a science-fiction post-apolcalyptic film rooted in Hindu mythology can very well become a blockbuster if contemporarised right.
Besides the action, and AI-enabled real cars (Bujji), Kalki caught everyone's attention because of its massive star cast and impressive cameos. In that regard, a coming together of several film industries to make an even grander film worked in its favour and the mass appeal of it.
While another big-event Hindi film Brahmastra did draw of Hindu mythology with a bit of tech, Kalki 2898 AD makes proper use of science-fiction as a genre and makes a nexus of desi myth and garnishes it with Blade Runner, Matrix & Dune like post-apocalyptic science fiction.