Nag Ashwin breaks silence on Alia Bhatt replacing Deepika Padukone in Kalki 2898 AD 2?
The internet’s buzzing about Kalki 2, but most of what’s out there is just wild guessing. Here’s the short version: Nag Ashwin never commented on Alia Bhatt replacing Deepika Padukone. That quote everyone’s sharing, It was about Sai Pallavi, not Alia. And Sumathi’s character isn’t going anywhere. Deepika played Sumathi in 2024’s Kalki 2898 AD. She pretty much carried the plot, since her character is the mother of the next avatar of Vishnu. In September 2025, the makers posted on X that Deepika wouldn’t come back for the sequel. The message was clear: “We were unable to find a partnership with Deepika during the making of the first part. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works.”
After that, the casting rumors went into overdrive. First people thought Sai Pallavi might take over. Then it was Alia Bhatt. Then it was both. Somewhere along the way, a clip from Nag Ashwin’s interview started circulating, twisted to look like he was confirming Alia as the new Sumathi. Not true.
In an interview with Great Andhra, the reporter asked him about Sai Pallavi, not Alia Bhatt. Here’s what he said: “We need to announce who plays Sumathi character in Kalki 2. As of now everything is speculation only. Character will be there for sure which we can’t remove as it’s a very important character.” So he didn’t confirm, deny, or even mention Alia. He was just saying Sumathi is too important to cut, and they haven’t locked the casting yet.
There’s a different rumor that Alia’s joining as Vaishno Devi. In that version, she’d play a divine protector for Sumathi and her unborn child. But there’s zero official confirmation. Vyjayanthi Movies hasn’t said anything. Neither has Nag Ashwin. Now, about Sumathi’s character - She’s staying. Nag made that much obvious. The story hinges on her, she’s literally carrying Kalki, so writing her out makes no sense. The only question is who steps into the role next.
The statement about “unable to find a partnership” suggests there were scheduling, creative, or commitment issues. They didn’t spell it out and kept things polite. Deepika’s clearly moved on, she’s busy shooting King with Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan, and she’s got Atlee’s Raaka opposite Allu Arjun. Last we saw her, she played Shakti Shetty in Singham Again.
She was the first name floated to replace Deepika. She fits the mold: great actress, broad appeal, and none of the drama. She just wrapped up Ek Din with Junaid Khan, which didn’t make much noise, and she’s playing Sita in Ramayana: Part 1 for Diwali 2026. But as of now, Nag’s said nothing definitive. “Everything is speculation only.” Translation: No deal yet, or they’re keeping it under wraps.
