Akhil Akkineni’s Lenin is drawing a positive response from netizens. Several users have hailed the portrayal of Karna in the film. Amid this, Nag Ashwin has defended Kalki 2898 AD's portrayal of Karna amid criticism over the film's interpretation of the Mahabharata character. The filmmaker hinted that audiences should wait for Kalki 2 before drawing conclusions.

Nag Ashwin defends Kalki 2898 AD’s Karna portrayal

The post went on to criticise Kalki 2898 AD, accusing Ashwin of glorifying Karna and describing the film's climax as "blasphemy".