Prabhas' Bhairava in 'Kalki 2898 AD' is not a protagonist in the conventional sense of the term. He has no full-fledged screen presence in the movie. In the first half, until the interval bang, there is no real role for him.
The story revolves around Deepika Padukone's cosmically important pregnancy, while the devilish antagonist (played by Kamal Haasan) is not aware of Bhairava's presence. In the first half, Prabhas comes across more as a comic relief.
The fans of other star heroes like Jr NTR and Mahesh Babu are mocking Prabhas for being a "side actor" in a pan-Indian title that was essentially sold as his movie. The ridicule has been countered by the fans of the 'Salaar' actor.
"Every single ticket that is getting sold in the Telugu States is because of Prabhas. It is in his name that 'Kalki' has been marketed. He is the Numero Uno crowd-puller of the movie and none else comes even close. Nobody is watching 'Kalki' for Deepika or Amitabh Bachchan," a fan of the 'Adipurush' actor said.
While Prabhas' appeal is unexceptionable, it is also true that he is not the "hero" of 'Kalki 2898 AD'.
