She admits that commercial elements overshadowed the film's content and the edit was reshuffled two days before release.
Aishwarya Rajinikanth opens up about 'Lal Salaam' failure. (Instagram)
Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s Lal Salaam was a much-anticipated movie before its release. The extended cameo of Superstar Rajinikanth was in the news.
Aishwarya Rajinikanth has admitted to the mistakes that led to the film’s failure.
In an interview with Cinema Vikatan, Aishwarya said Rajinikanth’s role started only after the interval and was meant for only 10 minutes. But his role was extended and became crucial for the story.
The filmmaker acknowledged that commercial elements overshadowed the film’s content, and the edit was reshuffled two days before release. “The screenplay, script, edit, and content went ‘out of control.”
She said the film had no revelations or twists since it was based on true incidents.
“When we had the option for a linear or non-linear pattern, we went for the latter since the story is straightforward and simple,” Aishwarya added.
Superstar Rajinikanth with his director-daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth. (X)
Before the film’s release, there were rumours that the footage of a major part of Lal Salaam was lost. Surprisingly, Aishwarya Rajinikanth disclosed that it was true.
The director said the footage of about 21 days was lost. “We filmed a cricket match using 10 cameras. We planned to shoot it as a real match. The footage of all the cameras was lost. We didn’t have a clue of what to do next.”
She recalled, “The problem was that everyone, including Vishnu, Senthil, and appa (Rajinikanth) changed their looks for their next films. We could not reshoot the portion though Vishnu and appa were supportive and expressed their willingness to reshoot. In the end, we re-edited the movie with whatever was left. It was challenging.”
Regarding the criticism faced by Lal Salaam, Aishwarya Rajinikanth said she understood that the audience saw the movie from a different perspective. “As a filmmaker, I will take criticism and appreciation equally and be happy. I will better myself,” she added.
Upon its release, Lal Salaam was appreciated for its strong content but the filmmaking style was criticised.
The movie didn’t do well at the box office, resulting in a tough time for theatres in Tamil Nadu until the Malayalam movie Manjummel Boys, which earned over ₹30 crore in Tamil Nadu, hit the screens.
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