New Delhi: The non-linear screenplay of Lal Salaam, according to Aishwarya Rajinikanth, was one of the reasons the movie fell short of its potential. Additionally, she said that Rajinikanth's presence in the movie tipped the scales because the story took a backseat and the actor was the main attraction. The film's crew had to make due with what was left of the raw footage for Lal Salaam when Aishwarya disclosed that they lost a large amount of it owing to negligence.
Talking about the film during an interview with Cinema Vikatan, Aishwarya Rajinikanth said, "It is very true that we lost a lot of footage. We were shocked that something like this could happen. It was about 21 days of shooting footage. I should say it is because of irresponsibility. And it was unfortunate. We had shot a cricket match, and it was a ten-camera set-up."
She continued, "We wanted to shoot it like it was a real cricket match. We missed the footage of all the twenty cameras. We didn’t know what to do. The problem was everyone including Vishnu, Senthil, and Appa also changed their get-up. So, we couldn’t reshoot it. In the end, we re-edited the film with whatever was left. It was challenging. Though Vishnu and Appa were cooperative and ready to do it again, we couldn’t shoot all of it again.”
Aishwarya Rajinikanth asserted that a large number of hard drives were corrupted and many were old. She said it was a lesson to be cautious with footages the next time. The director argued that the film would have been better if the footage had been available because many crucial parts were lost and couldn't be reshot.
In Lal Salaam, Rajinikanth made a lengthy cameo as Moideen Bhai, supporting Vishnu Vishal in the main role. A little community where Muslims and Hindus coexist together is the focus of the movie. It is all about how Moideen Bhai restores harmony when a political party communalizes a neighbourhood cricket competition and upsets the calm.