Bujji & Bhairava has received enthusiastic approval from fans, and director Nag Ashwin reacts to its success. The first season of “B&B” has quickly become one of the most binge-watched sci-fi series on its platform, trending in the top 10 in India within just a week of its release. This action-packed series, created by Nag Ashwin, features animated versions of Bujji and Bhairava, characters from the highly anticipated film Kalki 2898 AD.
Opening up about the prelude, Nag Ashwin said: “I always felt that it’s more fun to go to films whose characters you already know and are invested in… that’s why Marvel works so well… I wanted to see if we could pull that off, even in a small way. When we started this, we didn’t know how hard it would be… we started with 4 episodes… but in almost 2 years, we could only finish 2.”
The story of this two-episode prelude is set in the year 2896 AD, in the futuristic, albeit dystopian, city of Kasi. Bhairava is a bounty hunter, and Bujji is an AI pilot of a cargo ship. Both suffer setbacks in their journeys, and an unlikely partnership blooms, setting the stage for adventure.
While spin-off animation series often attempt to cash in on successful films, the team behind Kalki has introduced a series as a prelude. The two episodes, each a little over 14 minutes long, establish the world of Kalki and are available in English, Telugu, Hindi, and Spanish, catering to a wider audience.
Adding more about working on the prelude, Nag Ashwin said, “We found a new style, didn’t compromise on anything: the writing, the lighting, the detailing. We would have seen these 2 episodes over 200 times at least to get it right… it’s a lot of hard work to make things look easy. The prelude world is similar to the film, although a little more light-hearted. It helps get people used to the characters and the world.”
Last month, amid nearly 20,000 fans who gathered at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, production house Vyjayanthi Films unveiled the custom-made car Bujji in a spectacular event. Kalki 2898 AD is set to release worldwide on 27th June, 2024.
