Kalki 2898 AD producer Swapna Dutt has This to say on Arshad Warsi's 'joker' comment on Prabhas and Nag Ashwin's reaction to it
Kalki 2898 AD, released in theatres on June 27, 2024, has become one of the biggest hits of the year. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Kamal Haasan, the movie has received a great response from critics and collected over Rs 1000 crore at the worldwide box office. Audiences were amazed by the performances and how director Nag Ashwin skilfully blended science fiction with Hindi mythology set in a dystopian future.
Recently, actor Arshad Warsi shared his thoughts on the movie in an interview. The Jolly LLB star praised Amitabh Bachchan for his role as Ashwatthama but was not impressed with Prabhas' look in the film. He said that Prabhas, the Baahubali actor, looked like a "joker" in the movie. Arshad's comments sparked backlash from Prabhas' fans and even some actors from the South film industry. In response, Nag Ashwin took to social media platform X to address the situation.
Swapna Dutt, the producer of Kalki 2898 AD and Nag Ashwin's sister-in-law, also commented on the issue. Swapna said that she appreciated the way Nag Ashwin handled the situation. Swapna told News 18 that they remained calm because the film had already proven its worth. The producer added that Prabhas was fantastic in the film, as always, and praised both Nag Ashwin and him for their calmness. According to Swapna, Nag Ashwin had tweeted that he would be sending toys to Arshad's children and would work even harder for the sequel. She noted that the director only wished Arshad had used better language, which she felt highlighted Nag Ashwin's character.
So what exactly Arshad Warsi said that caused a storm in the entertainment news world? Well, D=during his appearance on the Unfiltered by Samdish podcast, Arshad said he was disappointed with how Prabhas was portrayed in Kalki 2898 AD. He questioned why Prabhas was made to look like a "joker" and said he would have preferred a Mad Max-style character, like Mel Gibson's role in that movie.
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Nag Ashwin responded on X, urging people not to create divisions between the North and South or between Bollywood and Tollywood. The director acknowledged that Arshad could have chosen his words more carefully but accepted it and jokingly said he would send toys to Arshad's kids while promising to work harder so that Prabhas would be recognised as the best in the sequel.