The cinematography of Indian 2, directed by Shankar and starring Kamal Haasan, has undergone a slight tweak – around 12 minutes of the film was removed. The film made its big screen debut on 12 July.

Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 premiered on the silver screen last Friday, but the audience gave it a thumbs down. The sequel to S Shankar's 1996 hit action flick came 18 years later, but fans were disappointed to find it too dragged out and lacking in depth. To address the criticism, Laika Productions has taken a step to remove a 12-minute segment from the film, and it is the shortened version that will take the cinema screening. Read on to find out more details.

On Wednesday, Lyca Productions made an official announcement on their X account (formerly known as Twitter), indicating a change in their film's runtime. The bulletin read, “We've Heeded Your Voice! Bharatiya 2 has been cut down by 12 minutes! Don't miss the abbreviated version at a theater near you! (sic).”

Take a look at the post:

Witness the enhanced version of #Indian2 ✂️ Now presenting a streamlined version trimmed by 12 minutes. Watch at your nearest cinema for a crisper experience! @IndianTheMovie Ulganayagan @ikamalhaasan @shankarshanmugh #Siddharth @Abhinetesinh @anirudhofficial @dop_ravivarman… pic.twitter.com/0reMKOvMIe

— Lyca Productions (@LycaProductions) 17 July 2024

The caption of the post reads, “Witness the enhanced version of #Indian2 (scissors emoticon). Now presenting a streamlined version trimmed by 12 minutes. Watch at your nearest cinema for a crisper experience! (sic).”

See what netizens are saying:

By the way who told you to trim??

— ⚡️Abhi⚡️ (@theAbhiOffl) 17 July 2024

We need 100% trimming and will only watch Indian 3 trailers

— Karnataka Venkat Reddy (@cavenkat8) 17 July 2024

I need half trimming and insertion part 3 in the other half

— MVN (@mvn_cr7_sc30) 17 July 2024

If you had really listened to us, you would have cut at least 2:30 hours

— Dravidian Professor (@Dravidian_Prof) 17 July 2024

Release in OTT. The play is over

— (@rajini_mano) 17 July 2024

Shankar shared his thoughts with India Today on the impact of high-budget films on his creative process. He emphasized that his driving force was not to outdo his previous works but to focus on projects that piqued his interest. According to him, success in the film industry paves the way for the introduction of new ideas in the Indian film industry. Despite dealing with a big-budget production, the compelling narrative of 'Indian 2' overcame the desire to create a grander film than 2.0. Though the Bharti 2 has a substantial budget, it is less luxurious than the 2.0. For Shankar, the imperative of Indian 2 was the need to share its unique story.

About Indian 2

Indian 2, a cinematic production jointly produced by Lyca Productions and Red Giant Movies, brings back Kamal Haasan once again to portray the character of Senapati, the general known to fans as 'Indian Thatha'. He bravely fights corruption using the ancient form of Indian martial art called 'Varma Kalai'. The film features a star-studded ensemble that includes talented actors like Samuthirkani, Bobby Simha, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh and Priya Bhavani Shankar.

The film opened with a bang at the cinema halls in its first three days, but surprisingly saw a major drop in audience numbers on its first Monday, with ticket sales falling to single digits. So far, the film has grossed Rs 65.15 crore in its home turf, India.