Nag Ashwin thought it was ‘silly’ to direct Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan for Kalki 2898 AD

In a recent interview, director Nag Ashwin opened up about his upcoming sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD and what it was like to direct the star cast.

Director Nag Ashwin’s highly anticipated film, Kalki 2898 AD, is set to hit theatres on June 27. This mythological sci-fi tale boasts a star-studded cast including Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani. In an interview with Film Companion, the director shared intriguing details about the film’s production and the unique experience of directing such renowned actors. (Also Read: Deepika Padukone plays a mother again; Disha as Prabhas' love interest: 5 top takeaways from Kalki 2898 AD trailer)

Kamal Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan both star in Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD.

‘The bigger they are, the more receptive they are’

When Nag was asked how, as a director, would he tell Amitabh or Kamal to give a shot, he admitted that he always found it ‘silly’ to tell them what to do. “It was two years since I last directed, and my first shot was with Mr Bachchan. He has some really good action sequences in the film. But be it him or Kamal sir, they all want to be directed. The bigger they are, the more receptive they are. Even with Prabhas or Deepika, I know their stardom and what fans expect of them, but I’m oblivious to that while working,” he said. The director also refused to confirm or deny if Vijay Deverakonda and Dulquer Salman play cameos in the film.

‘We would dream up things that would turn into headlines’

Kalki 2898 AD is set far in into the future, but there were times that Nag’s imagination let him down when he was dreaming up things that fit into his world. “Essentially, I made this film for the 10-12 year old me who would love to watch this. Every action scene I’ve put in the film is fun for that kid. But there were things I couldn’t crack initially, like food, vehicles, and interpersonal relationships. We would think of ways to make the world horrible but it would be on the front page. When we started out, we thought of people wearing masks and using oxygen bars, that’s a reality now,” he noted.

About Kalki 2898 AD

Kalki 2898 AD is set in a dystopian future where people struggle to survive in Kashi even as most of the resources are pooled by the Complex. Prabhas plays Bhairava and Amitabh plays Ashwatthama in the film where people wait for the incarnation of Kalki.