Arshad Warsi says his comments on Kalki misconstrued: Prabhas is great, but...
Actor Arshad Warsi responds to backlash over his comment that Prabhas's character in Kalki 2898 AD looked like a "joker," clarifying it was about the character, not the actor.
by Arushi Jain · India TodayIn Short
- Arshad Warsi trolled for his comment on Prabhas in Kalki 2898 AD
- The actor clarifies his statement was misunderstood
- He praised Prabhas as a brilliant actor
Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi has broken his silence after being trolled for his comment on Prabhas's character in Nag Ashwin's sci-fi drama Kalki 2898 AD. Arshad had said that Prabhas's character looked like a "joker" in the film, and his remark didn’t sit well with Prabhas's fans and some people in the film industry, including Nani, Sudheer Babu, and director Ajay Bhupath.
When asked about the criticism he received for his statement, Arshad said, "That's taken in a wrong sense." The actor was speaking on the red carpet of IIFA 2024, which was held in Abu Dhabi from September 27 to September 29.
He added, "Everybody has their point of view, and people like to make noise. I spoke about that character, not the person. He (Prabhas) is a brilliant actor, and he has proved himself over and over again. We know about it. But when you give a bad character to a good actor, it is heartbreaking for the audience."
During an appearance on Samdish’s podcast, Arshad praised Amitabh Bachchan's portrayal of Ashwatthama in Kalki 2898 AD. However, the actor was not impressed with Prabhas's appearance. He suggested that Prabhas should have been styled more like Mel Gibson.
“Prabhas, I am really sad, but why was he like a joker? Why? I want to see a Mad Max yaar; I want to see Mel Gibson over there. Tumne usko kya bana diya yaar. Kyun karte hai aisa mujhe nahi samajh mein aata hai (What have you made it? Why do filmmakers do this? I will never understand),” he said.
Soon after, Arshad's comment about Prabhas snowballed into a controversy, with several celebs and fans condemning him for spreading hate. Kalki's director Nag Ashwin also expressed that Arshad could have "chosen his words better," but he also promised to present Prabhas better in the next film.