‘Indian 2’ Director S Shankar Explains Decision to Split Film into Two Parts

During the trailer launch of the much-anticipated sequel ‘Indian 2,’ director S Shankar shed light on his decision to split the film into two parts. The original ‘Indian,’ a 1996 hit starring Kamal Haasan, was confined to one state and had a runtime of three hours and twenty minutes. However, the sequel’s narrative spans the entire country, making the story significantly larger.

Shankar explained, “The part one revolves around one state. Part one itself is a three-hour, 20-minute film. Now the story spreads all over the country to all the states. So, naturally, the story becomes big. Our initial idea is to do only one part. After starting filming and when I sat in the editing room, all the scenes from my point of view came out very well. If for the sake of just knowing you have to make it in one part, if I compress the whole thing, the soul of every scene, the feel of every scene would have been lost. I can see there are two parts to that story. And each part has its own strength, and whole form, and engaging scenes, and a start, a body, and a climax, and a finish. So it evolved automatically into two parts.”

Kamal Haasan supported Shankar’s choice, drawing a parallel with his own experience making ‘Vishwaroopam’ in two parts due to its extensive script. “When I made ‘Vishwaroopam’, we read the script. It was 350 pages long. They said, you edit it, it’ll make a fantastic film. On day one, in ‘Vishwaroopam’, I was shooting for ‘Vishwaroopam’ part two. Because I’d made the decision, I’ve told my crew that this is going to be in two parts. We embark on a journey today to make two films. You’ll be paid as such. But I’ll be shooting sporadically back and forth between two films.”

He continued, “This is the kind of decision that Mr. Shankar has made. Many competent directors are waiting for the right producer to make one film. He got the opportunity to make two. Why not use it? That’s what he must have thought. That’s what I think.”

The trailer for ‘Indian 2’ promises high-octane action, with Kamal Haasan’s character Senapathy, a freedom fighter turned vigilante, donning multiple disguises to combat societal flaws. The trailer showcases Siddharth’s character challenging systemic issues and Senapathy’s return to save society, evoking excitement among fans.

Lyca Productions shared the trailer on social media, captioning, “SENAPATHY is back in style! The much-awaited #Hindustani2 Trailer is OUT NOW, packed with breathtaking action and visuals that will keep you hooked.”

‘Indian 2’ reunites Kamal Haasan and director S Shankar, with a cast that includes Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh, and Kajal Aggarwal. The film features music by Anirudh Ravichander and writing by Jayamohan, Kabilan Vairamuthu, and Lakshmi Saravanakumar. Produced by Lyca Productions and Red Giant Movies, ‘Indian 2’ is slated for a worldwide release on July 12, 2024, in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.