Director Mohan G is currently on a promotional spree for his latest film Draupathi 2, the sequel to his first film released in 2020 which was met with commercial success as well as massive flak for allegedly showcasing caste-based prejudices and its "regressive" storyline. Addressing the criticism levied on him, the director said, "I belong to the Vanniyar caste and my films reflect stories based on the caste. Even this (Draupathi 2) shares stories of Vanniyars who have lived in Thiruvannamalai, Vizhuppuram and other places. That's why I have been receiving criticism which I have been handling, but it hurts when it is taken to people in a misconstrued way." The director further assured that the film isn't against any caste or religion.
Mounted as a grand multilingual period film, Draupathi 2 has been written by Mohan G and Padma Chandrasekhar. The film is set in the 14th century and unfolds against the backdrop of the rule of Hoysala emperor Veera Vallalar III, the valour and resistance of the Kadavarayas of Sendhamangalam, and the turbulent shifts triggered by the Mughal invasion of Tamil Nadu. "The film's talks about our land's history that has been kept hidden from us. Children should know about this history. I have been getting good reviews from people. While there were a couple of issues before its release, all those have now been resolved," he shared.
When probed about the themes of religious and caste fanaticism present in his films, Mohan G explained, "People would say that. They are also asking me what is the conflict between Vanniyars and Muslims. I have only showed what has happened in history. You might have also read about Thirubhuvanam PMK representative Ramalingam's murder case. He stood up against religious conversion in the area and was brutally murdered in 2019. After 5 years, they have only now made an arrest in the case. Nobody raised their voices against the issue. When we make a film based on historical facts, they are questioning me on how I showed Muslim invaders eating human flesh. I have proof for it. I am up for healthy debates. However, it is wrong to make baseless accusations about me and my film." He further added that the film doesn't pander to any political party and is a movie "for the people."
Draupathi 2 stars Richard Rishi as King Veera Simha Kadavarayan and Rakshana Induchoodan as Draupathi Devi. Chirag Jani, known for his roles in Kaappaan, Thunivu and Agilan, portrays Mohammad Bin Tughlaq and Dinesh Lamba can be seen in the role of Ghiyasuddin Thamkani. Natty, YG Mahendran, Barani, Saravana Subbiah, Vela Ramamoorthy, Siraj Johnny, Ganesh Gaurang, Divi, Devayani Sharma, and Arunodayan also play key roles in the film.
Draupathi 2 marks the third collaboration between Richard Rishi and Mohan G, after Draupathi and Rudra Thandavam (2023).