Nag Ashwin

Among Kalki 2898 AD’s most-talked about aspects is Padukone’s character SUM-80 aka Sumathi, the mother of Kalki. The promos gave the impression that she had a small role. The director, however, was always clear that Sumathi was the most important character. “We had to hide a bit of her story. But in a way, the film is all about her. She is the story, the film’s most important character. We’ll definitely see a lot more of her in the second part.” Padukone was pregnant when she shot for the movie’s climax. Naturally then, her comfort was Ashwin’s top priority. “We were very careful, making sure she was comfortable with every shot. I’m happy that in a way, Deepika’s baby made its screen debut,” he smiles.

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The movie’s smashing success has shown that contrary to popular notion, sci-fi films have takers in India. If Ashwin has one tip to give, it is that the genre doesn’t matter, the story does. “Get your story right first. The setting and VFX are secondary. If you have a great story and even if a few VFX shots fall short, it’s fine.” As he looks forward to working on the second part, he is mindful of the criticism that the first edition is receiving regarding its slow pace in the first-half. “We’ve shot for probably 20 days of the second part. With Kalki, there were so many characters to be introduced. So, we took our time. But I’m listening to the feedback and trying to make sure that we make a much better [second part].”