Asif Ali has admitted that his children were unimpressed by his recent films and even asked him why he was not part of the blockbuster Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, headlined by Kalyani Priyadarshan. Speaking during promotions for his upcoming thriller Mirage in Dubai, the Kishkindha Kaandam actor said his kids bluntly asked, “Daddy, why didn’t you act in Lokah?”, a remark he felt captured the shifting tastes of younger audiences.

The actor acknowledged that generational preferences have changed, with many younger viewers gravitating towards fast-paced, spectacle-driven cinema. He added that today’s audiences, accustomed to hours spent on Instagram and YouTube, often struggle with slower narratives in theatres, though such films frequently find success on OTT platforms.

Asif is now reuniting with Drishyam filmmaker Jeethu Joseph for Mirage, their first collaboration since Kooman. “After three years, I am once again working with him, and naturally, expectations are high,” he said. The film co-stars Aparna Balamurali alongside Asif in the lead.