Kushi director opens up about 'long' runtime of Samantha, Vijay Deverakonda starrer

Filmmaker Shiva Nirvana recently opened up about the lengthy runtime of his upcoming release Kushi, which releases on Friday. Nirvana was present at the event to promote his film, along with his film’s male lead Vijay Deverakonda. Kushi also stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead opposite Deverakonda.

3 things you need to know:

• Kushi marks the first collaboration between Vijay Deverakonda and Shiva Nirvana.
• The official trailer for Kushi was released on August 9.
• Kushi reportedly got postponed because of Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s decision to take a hiatus.

What matters is the film's feel, not duration: Shiva Nirvana

Kushi’s final duration stands at 163 minutes, which many netizens felt was excessive and too long for a light romantic entertainer. However, Shiva Nirvana clarified that he never had any doubt about the film’s duration, or contemplated cutting the film down. The director informed that he had shown the film to the entire cast and crew, and their response was favourable, clarifying that he would have a reason to worry if anyone from his team raised a concern or mentioned the duration being an issue.

The director, however, mentioned that there was never any discussion about the length of the film. Nirvana added, “What matters is the overall feel a film carries, and not its duration.”

In the same interview, when asked about his working experience with Shiva Nirvana, actor Vijay Deverakonda described Nirvana as the kind of filmmaker who will do anything for his film. Deverakonda stated that Shiva Nirvana is extremely secure in his vision, adding that Nirvana was always willing to take any kind of feedback or criticism without being shaken by it. The Arjun Reddy actor said further, “If he likes a pointer, within 2 days, you will find that element being incorporated. If he doesn't like the feedback, he will calmly sit down and explain to me that ‘This is how I see my film, Vijay .. with this kind of music and this kind of emotion.’”

Kushi releases on September 1

Kushi marks the first collaboration between Shiva Nirvana and Vijay Deverakonda. Shiva Nirvana’s previous film Tuck Jagdish was headlined by ‘Natural Star’ Nani. Kushi, which also stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead, releases on September 1.