Mumbai: Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has opened up about his decision to reject Ranveer Singh for the lead role in the much-anticipated ‘Shaktimaan’ film, admitting that the move was “commercially stupid”.
The veteran actor also revealed that he had held back a cheque worth crores while reflecting on the controversy surrounding the casting.
The ‘Shaktimaan’ film adaptation was announced in 2022, with Ranveer subsequently being widely linked to the role of the iconic superhero.
However, Mukesh, who played the beloved character in the popular television series, has repeatedly expressed his reservations about Ranveer being cast as ‘Shaktimaan’.
In a recent podcast with Subhojit Ghosh, Mukesh said he feels Ranveer would be more suitable for the role of the antagonist Kelvish than Shaktimaan.
Addressing the controversy, Mukesh said, “Ranveer Singh can play Dhurandhar, Gully Boy, Khilji but not Shaktimaan. For that, we need the right image and face, something he doesn’t have. He has a mischievous face, a scheming face. Shaktimaan has to be very positive, very positive. So you’re right that I have said something like that about that actor. I never said that he is a bad actor.”
Recalling his meeting with Ranveer, Mukesh said the actor’s boundless energy stood out throughout their interaction.
He revealed that Ranveer sat on the floor while narrating the entire story to him, with Aditya Chopra joining them later.
Mukesh said Ranveer’s enthusiasm reminded him of Dev Anand, adding that he had rarely seen an actor with such infectious energy.
He described Ranveer as someone who was constantly on the move and found it difficult to sit still for long.
He added, “No doubt, commercially, I am behaving like a stupid person. I have held back a cheque worth crores, not lakhs, crores. People in my own office told me, ‘Sir, take the cheque. You can fight later.’ I said, ‘Keep quiet. Don’t talk about this.’ I told them to wait. I said, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ Money does not come before principles. I said, ‘Suppose I take the money, and then there is drama over it?’ I haven’t taken it, because my second cheque was about to come, and I stopped it. I had taken the first one, but I stopped the second cheque. I said, ‘I had told you that you would make Shaktimaan only after consulting me.’ Now they have put in a condition saying, ‘No, sir, we will consult you, but we will do things our own way.’ I said, ‘That is not done. Tomorrow, you’ll show him dancing in a disco. Tomorrow, you’ll make him do something else…’”
Mukesh said he feels a personal responsibility to safeguard Shaktimaan’s legacy, even if his stance may not be the most commercially viable one.
He acknowledged that many consider Ranveer a versatile performer capable of taking on diverse roles, with his performance in ‘Dhurandhar’ being one example.
However, Mukesh said he could sense the audience’s “desperation” to see a major star take on the role of the iconic superhero.