Actor Amitabh Bachchan spoke to director Nag Ashwin about their hit film, Kalki 2898 AD, and praised how the filmmaker presented Prabhas in the epic science-fiction film. Bachchan said that it was a smart decision to get someone like Prabhas, who is considered a god by his fans, the lines spoken by Krishna in the Mahabharata. Bachchan also deflected the praise that his coming his way for his performance in the film, and said that it is all down to Nag Ashwin’s vision.

They two chatted together in a video posted on Vyjayanthi Movies’ official YouTube channel, where Bachchan said that the people who had complaints about the film’s first half probably didn’t understand it. He said, “You are catering to an audience, and there are many portions which, as someone who has been in the film industry, I can understand that you are paying to the gallery. This is Prabhas! This is a Telugu film!”

He continued, “Prabhas is Telugu, and you have to understand, he’s massive. He’s godlike there… Many elements, that people felt in the film’s first half, because of its length, they couldn’t understand and they were saying, ‘Let’s get on with the story’. But the fact is, the first half is like an intro for the hero of the film, but not just the film, but also the hero to the Telugu-speaking nation. That’s something that people overlook.”

Amitabh Bachchan and Prabhas star in Kalki 2898 AD. (Photos: Express Archives)

Actor Amitabh Bachchan spoke to director Nag Ashwin about their hit film, Kalki 2898 AD, and praised how the filmmaker presented Prabhas in the epic science-fiction film. Bachchan said that it was a smart decision to get someone like Prabhas, who is considered a god by his fans, the lines spoken by Krishna in the Mahabharata. Bachchan also deflected the praise that his coming his way for his performance in the film, and said that it is all down to Nag Ashwin’s vision.

They two chatted together in a video posted on Vyjayanthi Movies’ official YouTube channel, where Bachchan said that the people who had complaints about the film’s first half probably didn’t understand it. He said, “You are catering to an audience, and there are many portions which, as someone who has been in the film industry, I can understand that you are paying to the gallery. This is Prabhas! This is a Telugu film!”

He continued, “Prabhas is Telugu, and you have to understand, he’s massive. He’s godlike there… Many elements, that people felt in the film’s first half, because of its length, they couldn’t understand and they were saying, ‘Let’s get on with the story’. But the fact is, the first half is like an intro for the hero of the film, but not just the film, but also the hero to the Telugu-speaking nation. That’s something that people overlook.”

Bachchan praised Nag Ashwin’s portrayal of Prabhas as a godlike character, and said, “‘I’ve never lost a fight and I never will’, these are actually Krishna’s words. And you’ve given it to Prabhas, to Bhairava. For the Telugu nation that is gaga over Prabhas, it has an alternate meaning,” he said. Bachchan said that he has already seen the film four times, and is excited to discuss it with his son Abhishek Bachchan and his granddaughter. The movie has made over Rs 1000 crore worldwide, and has emerged as Prabhas’ second hit in a row after a string of box office failures.