Asur 2: Twisting Gods and Systems

          Asur 2: Twisting Gods and Systems

                                       

Hello viewers,

Lately I watched Asur 2. Asur 2 begins with a grand mythological idea. It echoes the famous shloka from the Bhagavad Gita:

"Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati Bharata,

Abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham."

(Whenever there is decay of righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness, I manifest myself.)

However, in Asur 2, the villain dangerously misreads this message. Kali does not wait for a divine savior. He believes that the world is so corrupt that he must create the Kalki avatar himself. His idea of saving the world is to destroy it first.

Using postmodern theory, we see that Asur 2 blurs the lines between good and evil. Kali shows that even those who claim to fight for good  the CBI, police, government are deeply broken. Their systems are weak, full of internal corruption, and helpless against a smarter enemy.

Through post-structuralism, the series questions the old ideas of Dharma and Adharma. Kali forces us to ask: Who decides what is good? Who has the right to kill or save? There are no easy answers.

One of the most powerful tools used by Kali is Artificial Intelligence. He creates an AI system that manipulates people’s minds through social media. The show clearly shows how today's generation  already addicted and brain-rotted by constant scrolling becomes easy prey. Kali uses fake news, fear, and anger to control them.

This idea is very similar to the arguments made in the documentary The Social Dilemma. In both, it is shown that social media does not just entertain us; it programs us. It divides us, polarizes us, and makes us easy to manipulate. Kali understands this very well. He does not need to force people. He just shows them what they already want to believe.

Looking through the lens of Milton’s Paradise Lost, Kali is like Satan himself  a fallen but proud figure. His ideology matches Satan’s famous line:

"Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."

Like Satan, Kali does not want to obey a broken system. He would rather destroy the world and rebuild it on his terms. He sees himself not as evil but as a liberator.

Kali is not a crazy villain. He is an intellectual. He is highly educated, rational, and full of logical arguments. He studies philosophy, science, mythology, and technology. This makes him even more dangerous. He can debate his enemies and sound convincing.

There are important incidents where Kali offers moral choices to society:

• In one situation, he gives people an option to kill atheists. He presents it as a test: whether society can protect those who think differently or will fall into hatred.

• In another scene, he plants bombs at both a religious place and a science conference. His target is not just blind faith in religion but also blind faith in science. He attacks both extremes. His aim is to show that society worships systems without questioning them be it God or technology.

Thus, Kali takes a middle stance, criticizing blind followers on both sides. He believes that real thinking has disappeared and that destruction is the only way to reset the world.

From a Marxist view, Asur 2 critiques how power protects itself. Government officials cover up their failures. Rich elites escape punishment. The CBI team, despite their bravery, cannot save the system because the rot is too deep.

A key strategy used by Dhanjay Rajput is the deification of Anant. Anant, a young boy, is shown to the masses as a miracle child. Videos of him performing impossible acts go viral. He is presented as the "chosen one" who will save society.

In a deeply religious society like India, this works perfectly. People are quick to believe in signs, miracles, and avatars. Mass ideology is shaped easily because faith often moves faster than reason.

Through the lens of mass psychology, we see how religious emotions are weaponized to control large groups. The people do not question Anant’s background. They blindly worship him, following Kali’s plan without even knowing it.

Meanwhile, bureaucracy, government, and police fail to protect public interest. Instead of focusing on the truth, they are busy saving their own image. Officials worry more about promotions, media image, and political favors than about real justice. Here, we can apply Harold Pinter’s ideas from The Birthday Party.

In Pinter’s play, people’s privacy and individuality are crushed by larger, unseen forces. Similarly, in Asur 2, the personal freedoms and safety of ordinary people are sacrificed for political games and bureaucratic survival.

The series also critiques capitalism. Kali does not only target religion; he also others (attacks) businessmen and corporations. He exposes how fake companies are created, how stock markets are manipulated, and how greedy businessmen sell lies to the public.

The symbol of the businessman in Asur 2 shows the corruption of the capitalist market economy. It shows that profit matters more than honesty, and that millions can suffer because of a few powerful people's greed. He fakes companies and shares, leading people into economic ruin  another proof that the system is not just morally but also financially hollow.

Through existentialism, we see that characters like Nikhil and Dhananjay fight for meaning in a meaningless world. They try to resist, even when they know they might lose. Their struggle reflects the basic human condition of standing against despair.

In the end, Asur 2 does not give easy answers. It asks a hard question:

Can real change happen inside a corrupt system? Or must the whole system be burned down to start again?

Thank You. 😀