Mukesh Khanna does not believe Ranveer Singh is the right choice for Shaktimaan: ‘Never said he is bad actor, we need the right image and face’ |

Shaktimaan, one of the most popular and first iconic Hindi-language superheroes, was led by veteran star Mukesh Khanna. While it has been years since he last played the hero on the small screen, Khanna still holds it close to his heart. Over the past couple of years, many production houses have been on the lookout to revive the superhero again for the modern generation; however, the actor has managed to block many of them out for not choosing the right star to replace him.One of the most popular choices for the film and the superhero was ‘Dhurandhar’ star Ranveer Singh. However, Mukesh Khanna seems to think otherwise. In one of his recent interviews, he opened up about how he does not believe that Ranveer would be able to play the beloved role.

Mukesh Khanna does not believe that Ranveer Singh can play Shaktimaan

Veteran icon recently sat down for an interview with Subhojit Ghosh, where the two discussed his role as Shaktimaan and how the future of the character is being shaped. While talking about whether Ranveer Singh would be a good choice to play the superhero or not, Khanna shared that while the actor has a lot of talent, he does not believe that he will be able to do the character the justice it deserves.He shared, “Ranveer Singh can play Dhurandhar, Gully Boy, and 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.” Khanna also shared that Ranveer was offered the role of the villain, Kilwish; however, the ‘Padmaavat’ actor was mainly interested in playing Shaktimaan’s role.

How Ranveer Singh reacted to the entire situation

During the interview, the ‘Mahabharat’ actor also opened up about Ranveer Singh’s reaction to the entire situation and how it all went down. Khanna started, “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.”The veteran star also added that he felt extremely bad for rejecting the actor. “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 added.

Mukesh Khanna on how he wishes to preserve ‘Shaktimaan’s legacy

During the interview, he acknowledged that he is losing out on a lot of money because of all of this; however, he believes strongly that money does not come before principles and what he believes in. He added, “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.”

Mukesh Khanna played the role of Shaktimaan for over 7 years. The show first started in 1997 and aired its final episode in 2005.