Mutt chief sends legal notice to makers of Kalki 2898 AD for ‘harming Hindu community’

Kalki Dham Peethadheeshwar and former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam have sent a legal notice to the makers of the film Kalki 2898 AD, including the director, producer and actors, who demanded that they publicly apologize for the “gross distortion, misrepresentation and distorted portrayal” of Lord Kalki in the film.

In his legal notice, Krishnam said that the reinterpretation of Mahabharata and the story of Kalki, a reincarnation of Vishnu, has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. The notice also asked the filmmakers to stop the distribution and release of the film on any OTT platform or other media distribution channels until the historical inconsistencies as detailed in the notice are corrected.

Kalki 2898 AD starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone, is a mythological drama based on the epic Mahabharata. The film features Kalki who is born through artificial insemination. Offended by the “distortions” of Hindu scriptures, Krishnam alleged that the makers have denigrated Sanatan Dharma.

The former congressman said the filmmakers had to comply with the demands within 15 days or face legal action – civil and criminal – against them.

Krishnam told IANS that the motive behind the legal notice is not to harass or trouble the creators, but to ensure that religious beliefs are not harmed or undermined in the name of artistic creativity.

“It was to ensure that they stop distorting, misrepresenting and misrepresenting religious and sacred texts in the film,” he told IANS.

Krishnam added: “On February 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Kalki Dham in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. When attempts are being made to revive the legacy of Lord Kalki, a film filled with misinformation and half-truths will not do any good.

“I want to ask the filmmakers what they want to achieve by hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. What do they want to achieve by denigrating and disparaging Sanatan Dharma? We will not allow such mockery of our religious beliefs.”

Meanwhile, the film, which released on June 27, has grossed a whopping Rs 600 crore in less than a month, becoming one of the biggest hits of the year.

(With IANS inputs)