Veteran actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan has returned to the sets of Kalki 2898 AD sequel, and his modest choice of travel has sparked widespread attention. Instead of flying by private charter, Haasan was recently seen travelling in economy class to join the ongoing shoot, a move that closely reflects his recent appeal for the Indian film industry to reduce unnecessary expenses.
The gesture was highlighted by Vyjayanthi Movies, the production house behind the film. Sharing a candid photograph of the actor aboard a commercial flight, the studio praised his decision to avoid luxury travel at a time when the cinema industry is facing mounting financial challenges.
The development comes shortly after Haasan published an open letter urging the film fraternity to rethink rising production costs. In the note, he pointed to wasteful spending practices such as oversized entourages, avoidable foreign shoots, scheduling inefficiencies and poor planning. He stressed that cost-cutting measures should never affect the wages, dignity or working conditions of technicians and crew members, who form the backbone of the industry.
Haasan also called for a broader industry-wide dialogue involving producers, actors, directors, unions, distributors, exhibitors and streaming platforms to develop more sustainable and efficient filmmaking practices. He argued that cinematic scale should come from creative clarity and discipline rather than extravagance, and encouraged greater confidence in filming within India rather than relying on expensive overseas locations.
Directed by Nag Ashwin, the first installment of Kalki 2898 AD featured Haasan in a menacing antagonist role alongside Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. The film became one of the highest-grossing Telugu productions of all time.
Production on the sequel is now underway, with Bachchan and Haasan set to share screen space again after several decades. Beyond Kalki 2, Haasan also has an ambitious slate of projects, including a collaboration with Rajinikanth in a film directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, along with multiple ventures under his banner as a producer.
