Kalki 2898 AD, a sci-fi epic starring Prabhas, has crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark at the box office, marking a mammoth success for director Nag Ashwin. However, a celebratory post by Ashwin sparked controversy on social media.
Ashwin shared a poster of Prabhas in his now-deleted Instagram story and captioned it, highlighting that Kalki 2898 AD achieved this feat “without blood, gore, obscenity, provocative or exploitative content.”
Many fans interpreted it as a dig at director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Ranbir Kapoor’’s film Animal, known for its grittier themes.
Netizens Feel Nag Ashwin’s Post Criticised Animal
The internet quickly got divided with different opinions on the post. Some saw Ashwin’s post as simply celebrating Kalki‘s success based on its own merits—a family-friendly film that doesn’t rely on shock value.
Others viewed it as a direct criticism of Vanga & his film Animal, particularly noting the massive budget of Kalki compared to the more modest resources of Animal, which relies primarily on the star power of Ranbir Kapoor.
Nag Ashwin mocking Vanga 😹.. pic.twitter.com/W6u4a3Y9oq
— 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒓 (@SRKsD3VIL) July 14, 2024
Budget is 4x times of Animal and have casting like Amitabh, Kamal Hassan, Deepika Padukone, Dulquer Salman etc etc and comparing yourself with Vanga who made blockbuster with just music screenplay and Ranbir Kapoor 😏 @nagashwin7 enduku ayya comparison pic.twitter.com/GS5BlxhiB1
— Satyajith (@satyajithpinku) July 14, 2024
If you think Nag Ashwin is taking a Dig at Sandeep Reddy Vanga then you're agreeing Animal is nothing without Obscenity and Provocative Content pic.twitter.com/YAe1qRpxEJ
— Pandu Raju (@CSKianPaanduRaj) July 14, 2024
vanga fans wildin' in quotes, but as a fan of his films, i can admit nag ashwin is more talented than sandeep. mahanati is flawless, one of the greatest films ever made. vanga cant make such a perfect film. https://t.co/qFOfNP23to
— °c (@chaituP_) July 14, 2024
Vanga’s supporters came out in defence of Animal, criticising Ashwin for “misrepresenting” their film. They highlighted Vanga’s achievement with limited resources, emphasising that he didn’t resort to “mythology character misrepresentation” or inflated numbers. Some even suggested that this online clash would inspire Vanga to surpass Kalki with his next film, Spirit.
Vanga @imvangasandeep Genuine ga 930+ chesi kuda 1000Cr poster veskole.. He made Animal with 1/3rd of Kalki Budget..
Mythology Character ni misrepresent chesi Huge Star Cast petti, boased no.s eskuni endukura kathal esthunnav @nagashwin7
Very Soon niku Thirigichesthadu 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VFJQ16XkLm
— Ujjwal Reddy (@HumanTsunaME) July 14, 2024
Now, Sandeep Vanga will make #Spirit with a vengeance to surpass #Kalki2898AD numbers
Nag Ashwin with malice will make #Kalki2 to surpass Spirit's numbers
Meanwhile, Prashanth Neel will be preparing Coal Factory sets for #Salaar2 to surpass both.
Prabhas Fans: pic.twitter.com/C97CwhgRMT
— nobu (@Senaapatii) July 14, 2024
Interestingly, amidst the online tension, fans of Prabhas remained largely unfazed. They continued to show enthusiasm for his upcoming projects, injecting humour into discussions and joking about the perpetual competition between directors.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga & Nag Ashwin’s Cordial Relationship
Despite the apparent rivalry online, both Ashwin and Vanga appear to be on good terms. Prior to Kalki‘s release, Vanga publicly praised the film’s trailer and expressed excitement, claiming to have watched it three times. He even mentioned to Nag Ashwin that it’s “party time.”
Talking about their professional front, Nag Ashwin is expected to work on the next part of Kalki after this. On the other hand, Sandeep Reddy Vanga is all set to shoot Spirit with Prabhas and will move to Animal Park next.
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