Kalki 2898 AD has emerged as the cinematic event of the year, capturing the hearts of audiences and making a significant impact at the box office. Directed by Nag Ashwin and starring a stellar cast including Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone, the film is on an impressive trajectory towards crossing the Rs 1000-crore mark. As the movie continues to shatter multiple records, Ashwin took some time to engage in a reflective conversation with DNA, shedding light on the film’s success, the criticisms it has faced, and the roadmap ahead.
With an estimated budget of Rs 600 crore, Kalki 2898 AD holds the title of the most expensive Indian film ever produced. Naturally, such a hefty financial commitment brought with it a cocktail of high stakes and palpable pressure on both Nag Ashwin and the film’s producers, one of whom is his wife Priyanka. When queried on his predominant feelings regarding the film’s success, Ashwin confessed, “Relief, because all of us put a lot at stake in this film, financially, time-wise, and in terms of energy.” He went on to say, “Now it’s coming back in the form of box office and love from all the places. And the love is coming from places like Delhi and Punjab and small centres like Tonk in Rajasthan, which is great because we rarely expect a film to travel to very small centres in rural Rajasthan.”
While the film has received overwhelming appreciation from both fans and critics, Ashwin remains candid about the areas where he felt improvements could have been made. He clarifies, though, that this doesn’t indicate any dissatisfaction with the final product. “I genuinely think that for most films, especially this one, you can’t finish making it. You are never done with the film; you just run out of time and the hard drives are essentially taken from you. That’s usually what happens. For a film like this that is so complicated in every department, even if you give me a month more, I would feel I could use some more time,” Ashwin expounded.
At a sizable three-hour runtime, Kalki 2898 AD is among the longest Indian films released this year. Some critics and fans have pointed out that trimming a few scenes might have enhanced the film’s pacing and overall impact.
. Reacting to such critique, Ashwin adopts a constructive stance. “I am taking all the criticism positively because most of them are valid too. Just to understand that this was the first part and it required a setup and all the characters needed to be introduced. Somebody was comparing it to Mahanati (his previous film) but there she was one character and it was her story. If this (Kalki) was only Ashwatthama’s story, we could have done differently but here were so many major stars and big characters that needed to be intertwined. It was a tricky screenplay to get right. Maybe we could have done better but it is a learning,” he explained.
Ashwin remains optimistic and appreciative of the general response the film has garnered. He is particularly focused on this goodwill as he gears up to start work on the sequel. “I am taking it all positively because if people feel that 6 or 7 minutes could have been edited or something of the sort, then the same people are also loving the second half or the interval and the Kurukshetra sequences. So you love 2 hours 54 minutes of it and I’ll take that,” Ashwin noted, bringing the conversation to a reflective close.
As Kalki 2898 AD continues its theatrical run across India, its impact is undeniable. The film not only represents a significant milestone in Indian cinema in terms of production and casting but also in narrative ambition. The positive reception, coupled with the director’s openness to constructive criticism, sets a promising stage for the sequel.
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