National Award winner Keerthy Suresh has revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes story about her association with Kalki 2898 AD. While audiences loved her as the voice behind Bujji, Prabhas’ witty AI-powered companion, the actress shared that she was initially offered a completely different role in the film by director Nag Ashwin, with who she had earlier collaborated in Mahanati.
Speaking on the same, Keerthy revealed that she chose not to take up the original role offered to her. Although she has not revealed which character it was, she admitted that she still wanted to be a part of the ambitious sci-fi epic. “Nagi offered me another role in the film, which I was not very sure of. But later he messaged me one day and he was like, “Do you want to peep through a wall at least?” I said, “I would love to in your film.” In his film, I know I will end up doing something in his film. And I’m actually glad I said no to the other character because I was able to do this one. So, he called me and he said, “listen I want you to be there in the film.” And he said, “There is this very interesting character, which is a voice. So, you have to voice for an AI bot.” So, I didn’t understand in the beginning. So, I said, “So you don’t need me for the shoot?” He said, “No, I just need your voice.” And I go, “Wow, this is different.” The minute I heard it, I said, “Yes, I’m doing it.””
Despite never appearing on screen, Keerthy’s voice performance became one of the highlights of Kalki 2898 AD. Bujji’s playful personality, emotional moments, and witty interactions with Prabhas resonated strongly with audiences, making the character an instant fan favourite. Her performance added warmth and charm to the futuristic narrative, earning appreciation from both critics and movie goers. Keerthy will be further seen in Sathyavan Savithiri, Raftaar, Akka, Rowdy Janardhana, a project with Daggubati Venkatesh, further expanding her filmography.