Actor Mukesh Khanna is widely known for his superhero character, Shaktimaan, who was an integral part of growing up in the 90s in India. The series was to be adapted into a film with Ranveer Singh was almost finalised to play the character on big screen. However,  Khanna has strongly opposed this choice, and believes that only a fresh face has the potential to do justice to Shaktimaan. He said that actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, who have star value, won’t portray the character convincingly. 

In a fresh interview with Subhojit Ghosh, Mukesh Khanna questioned “Why should I move on? I have made Shaktimaan” to those trolling him over not moving on from this character. Khanna also admitted that he has blocked not only Sony India but also Sony International from making this film, and added that Ranveer is, however, fit for Kilwish’s role (an antagonist in Shaktimaan) because he has portrayed Khilji’s role in Padmaavat. And, he offered this role to the star right at Mukesh Khanna’s office. 

“Ranveer Singh can play Dhurandhar, Gully Boy, Khilji but not Shaktimaan,” said Mukesh Khanna to those who tried convincing him to let the star be the face of India’s superhero. “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.”

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When the host prodded to know Ranveer Singh’s reaction to Kilwish’s offer, the senior actor said, “I sent him away from here after listening to him because he was very, very interested in Shaktimaan. I mean, he sat here for three hours and tried very hard to convince me. And I was even feeling guilty that I was turning him down, because I just couldn’t see the kind of face I wanted for Shaktimaan in him. He was so energetic that during those three hours, he sat here and told his whole story. He sat down on the floor. Aditya Chopra came from behind. I was… and suddenly, I was amazed. I have never seen a more energetic man than him. After Dev Anand saab, this is the one actor I have seen with so much energy. He just cannot sit still. If he sits here, he’ll go there; from there, he’ll jump onto the table; then he’ll go somewhere else.”

He further added, “When I praised him, people said, ‘Mukesh Khanna praised him, which means he has become Shaktimaan.’ But I said, ‘I never said that. He is a good actor, a big actor, he has energy, he has everything, but I never said that I was giving him the role of Shaktimaan.’ I even spoke in favour of Allu Arjun. I said that perhaps he looks positive, so he could possibly become Shaktimaan. People said, ‘Oh, Arjun!’ But I never said that I had offered him Shaktimaan. So people should understand my point.”

Mukesh said that he has kept cheques on hold, “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…’

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“So I have to preserve Shaktimaan’s legacy. Commercially, yes, it may be a very stupid decision. People say, ‘Go ahead, man. He’s such a big actor, he can do it. Actors can do anything.’ People have told me many times, ‘Sir, if he can do Dhurandhar, he’s a big actor. He can do it. Why don’t you believe it?’ I can see that desperation in the audience and viewers,” concluded Mukesh Khanna.