THE WOMB AS WEAPON AND WOUND: REPRODUCTION, MYTH AND STATE POWER IN KALKI 2898 AD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i11s.2026.8037Keywords:
Maternal Futurity, Biopolitics, MythologyAbstract [English]
Reproductive control has remained as the most profound embodiment of state control, the juncture at which the regime's aspirations and biological borders fiercely unite. In Kalki 2898 AD, Nag Ashwin renders this convergence with exceptional clarity. The article is an exploration of how the film understands reproduction and mythology in this dystopian narrative. Tapping into the works of a Michel Foucault, Luce Irigaray, Silvia Federici, and the feminist political theory in general, this analysis claims that Kalki 2898 AD defines Sumathi, the female protagonist, as a contested site for the emergence of a new world order. Proceeding through three correlated arguments, the film probes the geopolitical structure of the Complex, Yakshin command centre, to understand how reproductive extraction functions as the foundation of Kashi's hierarchical polity. Additionally, it also looks at the mythological framework of the film, indicating that the future incarnate of Kalki functions through a celestial logic where the feminine serve as a breeding ground for masculine redemption, instead of being an agent in their own right. Overall, the article concludes by suggesting that Kalki 2898 AD, in spite of its grand scope and overt display of reproductive labour, reiterates the patriarchal grammar of gender where the women at the core are sidelined for the renewal of masculine societies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Anagha Sreenivas, Dr. Vandana Rajput, Dr Khushboo Sukhwani
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