The series is part of The Kalki Cinematic Universe and premiered on 31 May 2024 on Amazon Prime Video.[3] The show emerged as the most-watched Telugu show in India, in the first 6 months of 2024, with 49 lakhs (4.9 million) views.[4]
Overview
The series is set two years before the events of the film in the year 2896, in Kasi.[a] Bhairava is a bounty hunter with dreams of getting into the Complex, an inverted pyramid structure located in the heart of the city, by collecting a million 'units' needed for gaining access inside.[b] BU-JZ1 is an AI pilot of a cargo plane, waiting for her promotion at the Complex. At their lowest point, these two unlikely souls, find each other to set of a crackling story of ambition, adventure, partnership, and mainly friendship.
Giving a positive response, Neeshita Nyayapati of Hindustan Times, praised Nag Ashwin's work and the screenplay.[10] Echoing the same, The Hindu's Sangeetha Devi Dundoo opined that the series has succeeded in introducing the world of Kalki and the franchise.[11]
Notes
^Kasi/Kashi is another name for the holy city of Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in India.[5]
^Shambhala or Sambhal, near Kasi in northern India, is prophesied to be the birthplace of Kalki, the future avatar of Vishnu, in Hindu scriptures. This concept was later borrowed into the Kalachakra tradition of Tibetan Buddhism where it is described a mystical kingdom somewhere beyond the Himalayas and also as a state of mind.[7][8]
