Mumbai: Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, well known for playing Indian superhero ‘Shaktimaan’, opened up on being warned against casting Ranveer Singh as the superhero in its cinematic adaptation.
The veteran said that while Ranveer is a good actor who is quite energetic, people don’t want to see him playing ‘Shaktimaan’.
“Maine kaha dekho, mereko Shaktimaan ke liye actor nahi chahiye, face bhi chahiye. Kahin na kahin real-life mein agar aapki image galat hai, toh who beech mein aati hai. Kayi log mujhe Ranveer Singh ke liye bolte hai ki arrey sahab yeh nashedi ko Shaktimaan mat banana, humare bachpan ki yaadien khatam ho jaayengi (I said, look, I don’t just need an actor for Shaktimaan, I also need the right face. In some way, if your real-life image is negative, it comes in the way. Many people tell me about Ranveer Singh, “Sir, don’t make this alcoholic Shaktimaan, our childhood memories will be ruined),” Mukesh said.
Mukesh further remarked that Ranveer will be a better choice for playing the antagonist, Kilvish, in ‘Shaktimaan’.
When a fan asked Mukesh to sit back and let Ranveer take over the role of Shaktimaan during a recent interview with Filmygyan, Mukesh replied: “You can’t change my mind. You like Ranveer Singh, and I like him too. We’ve sat and talked for three hours, and he’s a very energetic actor. But I have openly said to his face, You can play Tamraj Kilvish (the story’s villain). His face has a mischievous positivity. This actor — if you tell him to play Shaktimaan, you might enjoy it because he makes you dance, but you need someone mature enough to play Shaktimaan.”
Starring Mukesh Khanna in the dual role of Shaktimaan (a superhero) and Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastri (a clumsy photojournalist), the television series ‘Shaktimaan’ aired on Doordarshan from 1997 to 2005.
In 2022, Sony Pictures announced a cinematic adaptation of the show through a video which was captioned as, “After the super success of our many superhero films in India and all over the globe, it’s time for our desi Superhero!”
In a follow-up tweet, the studio posted, “We are excited to join hands with Brewing Thoughts Private Limited, and Mukesh Khanna’s Bheeshm International. Get ready for #ShaktimaanMovie; more details coming soon.”
While Mukesh is against the casting of Ranveer as Shaktimaan, filmmaker and actor Basil Joseph, who will be directing the film, told Bollywood Hungama, “No one else is doing Shaktimaan. It is Ranveer Singh and no one else. Whoever is spreading rumours of his replacement clearly has an agenda.”
Ranveer is currently awaiting the release of ‘Dhurandhar.’ Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, and Arjun Rampal in important roles and is slated to be released on December 5.