Mukesh Khanna Calls for Committee to Oversee Kalki 2898 AD for Misinterpreting Mahabharat: ‘Expected More From South Filmmakers’

The much-anticipated launch of Nag Ashwin’s “Kalki 2898 AD” has ushered in a wave of excitement and praise following its premiere on June 27. With a stellar cast lineup featuring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan, the movie is winning applause for its breathtaking visuals and captivating acting. However, the film stirred mixed emotions in Mukesh Khanna, famed for his portrayals in “Shaktiman” and as Bhishma in BR Chopra’s iconic “Mahabharat” series. Whilst lauding the cinematic delivery and the actors’ interpretations, Mukesh voiced his discontent towards the filmmakers’ decision to modify certain aspects of the Mahabharata epic. Scroll down to find more details.
Mukesh Khanna took to his YouTube channel to share his thoughts about the movie, Kalki 2898 AD recently. He was full of praise for it, acclaiming that it competes well with renowned Hollywood blockbusters like Avatar. He emphasized the stellar performances from the cast, but Amitabh Bachchan’s exceptional acting talent stood out the most to him.
In the video the Shaktimaan actor in Hindi said, “One thing that is bothering me is that they have tried to change the mythology in the film. In the beginning, you see Lord Krishna come, and take the gem from Ashwathama’s forehead, telling him that he will be my saviour in the future, Lord Krishna never said this. I want to ask the makers, how could you presume to know more than the Vyas muni, who said that what doesn’t exist here cannot exist elsewhere? It wasn’t Krishna who removed Ashwatthama’s ‘mani’. I’ve been reading the Mahabharata since childhood; I can tell you that it was Draupadi who instructed that his ‘mani’ should be removed, after he killed all five of her children (sic).”
He further adds, “The reason I’m telling this story in such detail is because I don’t understand how Krishna could command Ashwatthama to protect him in the future in Kalki? How can someone as powerful as Krishna ask someone like Ashwatthama to protect him? The liberties that you’ve taken are inexcusable. We think that South filmmakers have more respect for our traditions, but what happened now? I would like tell the government to make a committee which can look over the films that are being made on Ramayan, Gita, and other mythological topics and take control over the film’s script if needed (sic).”
About Kalki 2898 AD
Kalki 2898 AD, ingeniously combines elements of sci-fi and mythology, showcasing Prabhas in a new avatar as Bhairava — a bounty hunter hailing from the ancient city of Kashi. Alongside him, Deepika portrays an expectant test subject known as SUM-80, with Amitabh giving life to the character Ashwatthama, a figure of Indian mythos. News broke this past Wednesday from the movie’s production house, Vyjayanthi Movies; “Kalki 2898 AD” has swept the globe, raking in over a staggering ₹700 crore in worldwide earnings across multilingual platforms.