Mukesh Khanna played the superhero Shaktimaan on the DD National show of the same name for eight years from 1997 to 2005. In 2022, Sony Pictures India had announced that it would bring the desi superhero on the big screen. After reports emerged that Ranveer Singh has been signed to play Shaktimaan on the big screen, Mukesh Khanna expressed his displeasure over the decision. Since the veteran actor had produced the show as well, the project has been stuck since months.
Now, in his latest interview, Khanna has shared why he objected to Ranveer's casting as Shaktimaan. Speaking to Bollywood Thikana, he said, "I don't take names as I am not supposed to criticise any actor. People get offended. But now everyone knows that Ranveer Singh came to convince me for allowing him to reprise the role of Shaktiman. I can’t hide it also because later people said that I lauded Ranveer and called him a terrific actor. News of Ranveer being confirmed to play Shaktiman started coming. Since, I hadn't taken a call on it as I have a contract with Sony, I posted a video where I said, I have not said anything about the lead actor so please wait for sometime."
The actor, who also played Bhishma in the classic series Mahabharat, added, "That poor guy (Ranveer) was sitting in front of me for three hours. But it doesn't reflect on his face, what it needs to play Shaktimaan. He looks fickle as if he will con somebody. But he is a terrific actor. When I praised him I mentioned that nobody else in the film industry has energy like him. But I haven't approved him for the role. He must have felt bad. However, in the industry it is the producer who casts the actor, not the other way round."
Mukesh Khanna shared further that one of the main reasons behind his argument against Ranveer was the actor's nude photoshoot that he did for the Paper magazine in 2022. He also slammed his wife and actress Deepika Padukone for supporting him for that shoot. "That photoshoot was the start of my aversion towards him. However, Ranveer told me he didn’t actually do it. He said he was wearing underwear and had fired his promotional team. I believed him, but later, when I looked back, I remembered his statement to the media, where he said he was comfortable with it. I recall giving a statement, 'You may be comfortable, but we aren't.' His wife was also comfortable, according to a statement they gave to the media. She also didn’t object. Every wife would object. Don’t be so advanced", the veteran actor concluded.
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