Directed by Nag Ashwin, the movie Kalki 2898 AD was a resounding success at the box office across all regions. The film crossed the 700 crore gross mark in the first week of its release and is on a fast track to enter the 1000 crore club. Starring actor Prabhas in the lead role, the movie managed to woo the audience with its huge budget and star power.
Kalki 2898 AD has become the center of discussion in the film industry due to the good response of the film which lived up to the huge expectations of the film even before its release. But, some of the critics and audience were dissatisfied with the first half. In particular, some felt that the film was slow and difficult to connect with.
Nag Ashwin's response
Responding to these criticisms in an interview, director Nag Ashwin shared the various strategies behind the making of the first half. "It's about setting up the world and the characters," said Ashwin. "We've created three new worlds of the future. So our goal in the first half is mainly to introduce these worlds."
Explaining their strategy, Ashwin said, "We have four big stars. We have to balance their roles and the market factors. Our strategy is to slowly take the audience into the story in the first half. It may take a little time for the audience to understand these new worlds. But this will be the foundation of the original story, and we will introduce it." We have prioritized doing so."
The first half may feel slow for some viewers as it takes the audience into new worlds and introduces the characters. But, according to director Ashwin, this introduction will play an important role in the narrative. "We felt that the introduction of the characters and their background was crucial for the audience. Without this introduction which gives depth to the story, we felt the story would have felt more isolated," said Ashwin.
With Ashwin's clarity, the first part of the film seems to be necessary to understand its uniqueness and connect the characters. Despite the criticism of the first half, the director's interpretation makes the audience understand the depth and foundations hidden in the first half.
Nag Ashwin's response to criticisms of the first half of Kalki 2898 AD's pacing introduces different perspectives to cinema. It remains to be seen how the film will continue its success as it heads towards the 1000 crore mark.