Nagabandham has made the same mistake that many films made in the past. First, makers release a film with a lengthy runtime. When mixed or negative talk comes, they start trimming scenes and reducing the duration.
But the big question is: How much will that help after the damage is already done?
Nagabandham was released in theatres with a runtime of 3 hours and 5 minutes. The makers reportedly believed that audiences would get involved in the story and would not feel the length.
However, the runtime itself became one of the major complaints.
Many viewers felt that the film could have been better if at least 20 minutes had been removed.
It seems the feedback has now reached the makers. Considering the response to the film, they have reduced the runtime to around 2 hours and 45 minutes.
That means nearly 20 minutes of footage has reportedly been cut.
The first half has some engaging portions, but there are also boring stretches in between. The marriage track involving Rudra, his sister, Anasuya and other characters slows down the story considerably.
Even later, as the story moves forward, several portions give a dragged-out feeling.
The makers may have now removed some of those scenes. There is also a possibility that the lengthy climax fight, which tested the patience of many viewers, has been trimmed.
It is good that the makers acted quickly and made changes from the second day itself.
But whether this late correction can change the film’s box-office fate is the bigger question.
History shows that very few films have made a strong comeback only because their runtime was reduced after release.
