Kalki movie: ‘I know what I’m doing’: Nag Ashwin shuts up critics as Karna in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, pleads to ‘wait for part 2’ | Telugu Movie News

‘I know what I’m doing’: Nag Ashwin shuts up critics as Karna in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, urges to ‘wait for part 2’

film maker Naga Ashwin has broken his silence on the criticism surrounding Karna’s character in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’. The director reacted after social media users questioned the film’s interpretation of the legendary warrior and its climax. Nag Ashwin mentioned Mahabharata and requested the audience to wait till the sequel before judging the complete story.

After ‘Lenin’ social media controversy started

After the theatrical release of Akhil Akkineni’s ‘Lenin’, the online discussion gained momentum. Among the many reactions to the film, a social media user praised Pramod Panju’s performance as Karna and claimed that the character should have been portrayed in the same way in 2898 AD Kalki. The same post also criticized Nag Ashwin’s portrayal of Karna and questioned the film’s climax. As the debate heated up, Nag Ashwin chose to respond directly.

The director quoted from Mahabharata

In response to the criticism, Nag Ashwin shared an excerpt from Vivek Devroy’s English translation of the Mahabharata. He refers to a passage from the Drona Vadha Parva. Lord Krishna speaks of Karna while addressing Arjuna in that passage. The filmmaker defended his explanation by writing, “These are Krishna’s own words to Arjuna in the Drona Vadha episode. Please read Mahabharata. I suggest the Vivek Devroy version. Or Google how many times Krishna praised Karna to Arjuna. I have the utmost respect for our history. I know what I’m doing. Stay tuned for part 2.”

‘Wait for Part 2’

Besides defending the film, Nag Ashwin’s response also offered a small tease about the sequel. Although the director didn’t reveal any plot details, his last sentence ‘wait for part 2’ boosted the hype for the sequel.

Kalki 2 is currently in production.

The work of ‘Kalki 2’ is going on in Hyderabad. The sequel continues the story introduced in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ and is expected to focus more on Ashwatthama and Karna’s journey. The first film featured Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani in lead roles. Reports say that ‘Kalki 2’ is targeting a December 2027 theatrical release and expectations are sky high.