Kalki 2898 AD Not for Bihar and Odisha’s Audience, Says Mukesh Khanna, Gets TROLLED

Mukesh Khanna, widely recognized for his portrayal of Bhishma in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat, has stirred controversy with his review of Kalki 2898 AD. The actor, also known for his role as Shaktimaan, faced significant backlash on social media for his comments about the film directed by Nag Ashwin.

Mukesh Khanna commended Kalki 2898 AD for its performances and scale, giving it high marks.

However, he sparked controversy by claiming that the film was tailored for a Western audience and that viewers in Bihar and Odisha would not grasp it.

He remarked,

“The level of intellect with which the film has been made is suitable for Hollywood. People there are more intelligent. Forgive me, but audiences in Odisha and Bihar are not going to understand this kind of filmmaking.”

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This statement led to widespread outrage on social media, with many criticizing his view as disrespectful.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) criticized Khanna, saying,

“According to Mukesh Khanna, the state that gave birth to Pathani Samanta and Aryabhatta isn’t smart enough to understand Kalki 2898 AD. What a shame that understanding a film is considered a measure of intelligence.” Another user questioned, “Do you think I am dumb because I am Odia? So dumb that I can’t understand Kalki with clichés patched up from Hollywood? Mukesh Khanna seems to think so.”

Mukesh Khanna thinks Kalki is only for the intellectual types who binge on Hollywood movies, not for the masses in places like Odisha and Bihar.

"The film's level of intellect suits Hollywood. People there are smarter than us. Forgive me, but audiences in Odisha and Bihar won't… pic.twitter.com/RDdUEqI4bi

— Cosmic Whisper (@CosmicWhisperr) July 5, 2024

A third user highlighted the inconsistency in Khanna’s logic, stating,

“Mukesh Khanna thinks Kalki is only for intellectual types who binge on Hollywood movies, not for the masses in places like Odisha and Bihar. Seriously, folks like Mukesh Khanna underestimate our intelligence. If Robo (Enthiran) earned 300 crores in 2010 and Endgame 400 crores in 2019 in India, why doubt our love for sci-fi in 2024? Mukesh Khanna’s ‘Aryamaan – Brahmaand Ka Yodha,’ a blatant Star Wars knockoff, came out in 2002. He questions our intelligence in 2024 but released a sci-fi TV show in 2002? What a joke!”

https://x.com/Tushar_KN/status/1809525864394289615

Mukesh Khanna also criticized director Nag Ashwin for modifying elements of the Mahabharata in the film. He stated,

“In the beginning, when Krishna curses Ashwatthama by removing his ‘mani,’ this never happened. How could the makers presume to know more than Vyas muni? It wasn’t Krishna who removed Ashwatthama’s ‘mani’. Draupadi instructed that his ‘mani’ be removed after he killed all five of her children.”

He further condemned the liberties taken with the mythological story, calling for a government committee to review mythological films and projects to ensure respect for traditions.