'Kalki's sequel will focus on characters' backstories, reveals Nag Ashwin
What's the story
Director Nag Ashwin has expressed his gratitude for the successful first week of his sci-fi epic, Kalki 2898 AD.
He sees the film's success as a positive development for the Indian film industry, especially for aspiring filmmakers and production houses.
"This movie opens the door," said Ashwin, adding that Kalki serves as a "reference point" for future filmmakers interested in the sci-fi genre.
Despite its success, he acknowledged the complexities and shortcomings in crafting such an intricate narrative.
Challenges
Ashwin discusses challenges and future plans for 'Kalki 2898 AD'
Ashwin initially planned to make Kalki 2898 AD as a single film, but soon realized the complexity of doing justice to all four main characters' narratives.
"The idea was to make it in one part. But in the first few schedules only we realized that we cannot manage to do full justice to all the four characters in one film," he explained.
The second part does not have a release date yet.
Sequel plans
Sequel to focus on characters' face-off
In the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, Ashwin plans to focus more on the face-off between main characters.
"The audience is now ready to accept and enter that world. So, now we will be having fun. The main characters have now realized their full power," he stated.
He also addressed criticism received for character development in his film, particularly Sumati (Deepika Padukone) who often relies on others for rescue, conceding that "maybe we could've done a few things differently."
Rumors and inspiration
Ashwin debunks sequel shooting rumors, reveals inspiration
In another interview with Pinkvilla, Ashwin debunked rumors that 60% of the sequel was already shot. He revealed that only about 25-30 days of shooting for the second part had been completed.
"There's still so much prep left to do," he said.
"I'm making this film for my 10-year old self or 12-year old self, I want to watch this (film) and have a lot of questions."
The film also stars Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.