‘Kalki 2898 AD’ trivia: When Deepika Padukone embraced motherhood on-screen: ‘Why not carry the baby bump a few more months?’

Deepika Padukone has never shied away from challenging roles, and in , she impressed the audiences by taking on the emotionally rich part of a mother—this time, with a twist of sci-fi epicness. Let’s take a throwback moment at when Deepika opened up about her character in the movie.

Speaking during the pre-release event of the Nag Ashwin directorial in Mumbai, Deepika reflected on portraying a mother in the futuristic world of Kalki, joining a trend that’s seen her play mother figures in Jawan and .


At the event, actor Rana Daggubati playfully teased Deepika, referencing her real-life pregnancy and the character she plays in the film. “She is still in character,” he quipped, pointing at her baby bump. To this, Deepika laughed and responded, “Yeah, I worked on it for three years, so I thought why not carry the baby bump for a few more months.”

From Brahmastra to Kalki: Deepika’s Maternal Arc
Deepika’s role in Kalki 2898 AD isn’t her first portrayal of a mother. She previously played Amrita, the mother of Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor), in Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, though mostly through flashbacks. Her character held pivotal importance to the film’s storyline, which explored the Astraverse mythology. Though her screen time was limited, it set up her presence in the coming parts of the trilogy.
In Kalki, her role appears to be even more significant, with much of the film’s emotional core centered around her character and her unborn child in a dystopian world. Co-starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani, the film is one of the most anticipated pan-Indian projects of the year.

Marching Ahead with Atlee and Allu Arjun
Following the buzz of Kalki, Deepika has already locked in her next big project—a sci-fi action adventure tentatively titled AA22XA6, directed by Kollywood sensation Atlee and starring Telugu superstar Allu Arjun. The makers officially welcomed Deepika with a grand announcement video showing Atlee briefing her on the storyline and her role. “The Queen marches to conquer! Welcome onboard Deepika Padukone,” read the announcement.