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Kalki movie set design is one of the recent masterpieces of art and production design. Nitin Zihani Chaudhary has indulged us all in these immersive and intricately designed cities, futuristic weapons, and vehicles of Kalki 2898 AD.
But to begin with, what is a set? A set is usually a depiction of a look-alike setting of a place or a structure. From a miniature model to a life-scale structure, a set is a quintessential part of cinematic creation. Each frame requires a backdrop to add depth and context to a scene, be it the natural setting of ponds, trees, grass, or a specifically curated structure based on the theme. It portrays a character, and a timeline, and informs the audience about many nuances of the story.
A quote by Christophe Lautrette says ?For an artist, there’s nothing better than having the opportunity to create a world that doesn’t- but could exist?. Essentially, an elaborate blank canvas was mounted for the production team to paint a picture of a futuristic city where mythology meets fiction.
Kalki 2898 AD is a merge of two distinctive genres of mythology and fiction that has blown away people?s minds with its upshot. Well, the question arises, how was Kalki movie set designed? To decode the entirety of the outlandish idea behind the film, let us get into the details of this futuristic and fictitious world of Kalki 2898 AD.
Working With State-Of-The-Art Concept
The film Kalki 2898 AD is a fascinating, out-of-the-box storyline featuring an inconceivable, and mind-boggling concept. What inspired the design of Kalki movie sets? The inspiration behind Kalki movie sets comes from the vastness of Hindu mythology and the aesthetics of dystopian fiction. This film weaves two contrasting ideas of the Indian mythological event of the Kurukshetra War and dystopian futuristic fiction, encouraging the design of futuristic cities and weapons. Each element of the set has a sci-fi dint that takes it to the futuristic era. Not just the set design, but also each weapon and costume used in the territories of Kashi, and the complex, differ significantly. The structures of cities like Kashi are built with metal or fibre sheets, that are sturdy and could stand for years without weathering. To understand more about the step-by-step process of Kalki movie set design, let us take an in-depth look at Kalki movie production design.
Bringing Fiction To Realism
Designing a futuristic city is an uphill battle for artists and designers. It involves a tedious process from selecting a city for symbolic references to brainstorming, and from concept development to picking materials suitable for constructing a sturdy structure that suits the story and its timeline.
How Kalki movie sets were designed? To draw a detailed analysis of Kalki movie set design, three unique worlds have been created for the storyline. One is the futuristic Kashi, inspired by the city of Kashi, Varanasi. To construct a dilapidated version of Kashi references to slums were taken. The magnificent set of Kashi was built on 10 acres of land on the outskirts. Stood 600ft in length and 100ft wide, this huge set of the power of art is when a design fills a mere metal sheet with a character. Kashi was created using various materials like iron, plywood, fibre sheets, and more.
Shambhala City was created on a large bridge of about 600ft in length and around 40ft wide. The huge iconic tree about 50ft high was curated out of fibre. Whereas, The complex was an extravagant technological paradise with magnificent structures. It had a vastness of mythology and the uniqueness of modernity. Numerous fictional elements were orchestrated using the mythological elements to determine the theme and timeline of this story.
The Key Features Of Kalki Movie Set Design
A set for a mythic-fiction movie shall be elaborate and interactive with the actors as well as the audience. Therefore, we shall be discussing certain key highlights or features of the Kalki movie set design that translate the intended depiction of the movie. Previously 20 to 40 different shapes, colors, and textures were experimented with before finalizing an inverted pyramid. Well, a certain question passes our minds, why an inverted pyramid? The inverted pyramid is a highly symbolic structure curated using a combination of a physical set and VFX effects. Techniques used in Kalki movie set design like CGI, Virtual production, and motion capturing are contemporary tools to create realistic visuals. The specific shape has an overwhelming character that seems to dominate the land of Kashi. The sharpness of the pyramid shape strikes the right emotions and suits well with the brief wherein all the energies, and resources like the Ganga water were sucked up in the dominating structure that symbolizes power and control.
The production designer, Nitin Zihani, believes that a set should be designed in a way that does not overpower the scene or the story. Kalki 2898 AD, is a flawless blend of numerous architectural features, historic references, and sci-fi ideas. Efforts of the entire production team have brought together a one-of-a-kind film. Not to forget, many years of extensive research and hard work were being put behind the scenes of Kalki movie production design that has resulted in the success of the film. From creating a lookbook with hundreds of sketches, references, and ideas to erecting enormous and realistic sets and props, the diligence of the production team has made Kalki 2898 AD a massive hit.