Malavika Mohanan Defends Karthi After ‘Glamorous Costume’ Remark Sparks Backlash: ‘He Is a Gentleman…’

Malavika Mohanan has come forward in support of her Sardar 2 co-star Karthi after the actor faced online criticism over comments he made about her costumes in the upcoming action film.

The controversy began during a promotional event when Karthi spoke about wanting Malavika’s character to have a more glamorous appearance and reportedly referenced Italian actor Monica Bellucci while discussing the visual treatment.

His remarks quickly attracted criticism online, with some social media users questioning the expectations placed on female characters in action films.

Malavika, however, says there was more context to the conversation than the viral remarks suggested.

Malavika explains what Karthi actually meant

Speaking on The SS Podcast, Malavika Mohanan addressed the controversy and explained that the costume discussion was part of a broader creative conversation involving the actors and Sardar 2 director PS Mithran.

According to Malavika, Karthi also contacted her following the controversy to discuss the context surrounding his comments.

She explained that their conversation had been about the possibilities available when portraying undercover spies and whether action sequences could occasionally embrace a more stylised cinematic aesthetic.

Rather than being intended as a comment on her personally, Malavika said the discussion revolved around how her character Sara could visually appear during certain action sequences.

‘Imagine doing action in a skirt’

Malavika drew comparisons with stylised Hollywood action movies such as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, where characters can perform elaborate action sequences while wearing clothing that would not necessarily be considered conventional action gear.

She specifically referred to a plane stunt sequence and explained that there had been a discussion about the visual impact of performing such action while wearing a skirt.

For Malavika, such choices represent the kind of cinematic liberty filmmakers sometimes take to make action sequences visually distinctive.

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Her clarification suggests the original discussion was less about simply making a female character “glamorous” and more about balancing realism, style and spectacle within the film’s spy-thriller setting.

Malavika calls Karthi a ‘gentleman’

Malavika also defended Karthi personally, describing her co-star as a “gentleman.”

She indicated that his remarks were intended as a lighthearted recollection of conversations that took place during the filmmaking process rather than an attempt to undermine her character or reduce her role to its appearance.

Her response comes after Karthi’s original remarks generated a wider online conversation about how female actors are presented in mainstream action cinema.

What did Karthi say about Sardar 2 costumes?

During the earlier promotional interaction, Karthi discussed how Sardar 2 differs visually from the glamorous image audiences may traditionally associate with international spy films.

The actor pointed to his own character, a spy who can even appear in a lungi, while explaining that he had discussed the possibility of introducing more stylised costumes for Malavika’s character.

He reportedly suggested to director PS Mithran that a more glamorous visual treatment could appeal to audience expectations from a large-scale spy thriller.

However, according to Karthi’s account, the director remained committed to his own vision and preferred keeping the character’s appearance more grounded.

Malavika’s latest explanation now provides additional context to those remarks.

Sardar 2 gears up for theatrical release

The controversy arrives just as Sardar 2 prepares to hit theatres.

The film is a sequel to the 2022 action-spy film Sardar and sees Karthi and Rajisha Vijayan returning to their respective roles.

The sequel expands the ensemble with Malavika Mohanan, SJ Suryah and Ashika Ranganath, among others, with PS Mithran returning to direct.

Sardar 2 is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on September 10, 2026.

With Malavika now explaining the context behind the remarks, she has made her position clear: what became a controversial comment online was, according to her, originally part of a much broader creative discussion about costumes, action and cinematic presentation.