‘Read Mahabharata’: Nag Ashwin responds after fan calls Kalki 2898 AD's Karna portrayal 'blasphemy’

Director Nag Ashwin has responded to fresh criticism surrounding the portrayal of Karna in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, saying audiences should hold their judgement until the sequel is released.

The filmmaker addressed the debate on X after a social media user compared ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ with Akhil Akkineni's recently released Lenin. The post praised actor Pramod Panju's performance as Karna in Lenin while accusing Ashwin's film of glorifying the Mahabharata warrior and describing its climax as "blasphemy".

Nag Ashwin cites the Mahabharata

Replying to the criticism, Ashwin backed his creative choices by referring to the Mahabharata itself. He shared a page from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the epic, highlighting a passage from the Drona Vadha Parva in which Lord Krishna speaks highly of Karna while addressing Arjuna.

The director urged people to revisit the original text before questioning his interpretation.

"These are Sree Krishna's own words to Arjuna in the Drona Vadha Parva. Please read the Mahabharata. I suggest the Bibek Debroy version. Or Google how many times Krishna praised Karna to Arjuna. I have the greatest respect for our history. I know what I'm doing. Wait for Part 2."

His reply made it clear that he believes the complete picture of Karna's character will only emerge once the second instalment reaches audiences.

Sequel casting continues to fuel speculation

While discussion around the film's mythology continues online, speculation has also intensified over the cast of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ Part 2.

Several reports have claimed that Deepika Padukone may not return for the sequel, while Sai Pallavi and Alia Bhatt have both been linked to the project. However, the makers have not confirmed any new casting.

Ashwin also addressed rumours surrounding the important character of Sumathi. Although he did not reveal who will play the role in the sequel, he confirmed that the character remains central to the story.

"We need to announce who plays the Sumathi character in Kalki 2. As of now, everything is speculation only. The character will be there for sure, which we can't remove as it's a very important character."

The sequel is expected to bring back Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan in their respective roles. Following the events of the first film, Supreme Yaskin is widely expected to take centre stage as the principal antagonist.

Industry reports have also suggested that the second chapter will raise the scale further, with larger action sequences built around Prabhas, although the makers have yet to reveal additional plot details.