(This article is authored by Alar)

As the highly anticipated release of Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire draws near, the film's dynamic trio—Prabhas, Prashanth Neel, and Prithviraj Sukumaran—engaged in a fascinating conversation with none other than the legendary director SS Rajamouli. The RRR maestro delved into a discussion with Prashanth Neel, probing his thoughts on the cinematic universe trend that Lokesh Kanagaraj has been championing in Indian cinema.

Prashanth Neel, who is known for his blockbuster KGF series, revealed that he is not interested in creating a cinematic universe that connects his films. He said that he respects Lokesh Kanagaraj’s vision and execution, but he feels that it is not his style to cash in on the hype of making such connections. He added that he prefers to focus on the story and the characters of each film, rather than linking them with other films.

“I had this discussion a long time ago. However, personally, I don’t want to pursue that. I believe it’s not right for me to cash in on the bandwagon of making these connections and bringing back the audience to the theatre for that reason.” Prashanth Neel said.

He also said that he enjoys watching universe-based films when they are done well, such as the Avengers series, which he praised for its right balance of action, and emotion. He also expressed his admiration for Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has created a successful cinematic franchise with his Leo, which includes Kaithi,  and Vikram.

“I appreciate watching universe-based films when they are executed well, like the Avengers series because it was done right. Also, I admire what Lokesh Kanagaraj is doing in the Tamil cinema industry; it, too, has been executed well. However, I’m not capable of doing something like that because there are different timelines,"

"KGF happens in the 80s, and Salaar happens in the present era. That being said, I love watching films based on connections because it gives us a sense of euphoria while watching two characters coming together from different worlds.” Prashanth Neel added.

Salaar, which is produced by Hombale Films, is a pan-Indian film that stars Prabhas as Deva, a rebel leader who fights against a tyrannical regime. Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the role of Varadharaja Mannar, a ruthless warlord. The film also features Shruti Haasan, Pramod, Tinu Anand, Jagapathi Babu, Eashwari Rao, Shreya Reddy, Garuda Ram, and Naveen Shankar, among others. Salaar to release on 22nd December, and is made in Telugu and dubbed in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi.