“They Don’t Have…”: Mukesh Khanna Says SRK, Akshay Kumar Can’t Play ‘Shaktimaan’ After Bashing Ranveer Singh
After criticising Ranveer Singh, actor Mukesh Khanna said that even Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn or Akshay Kumar can play ‘Shaktimaan’.
Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, best known for playing the role of Shaktimaan in the 1997 Doordarshan show of the same name, recently expressed his displeasure about the casting of Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as Shaktimaan in an upcoming film. While an official announcement regarding the upcoming project is still awaited, several recent media reports suggested that the movie will star Ranveer Singh in the lead role. After criticising Ranveer Singh’s potential casting, Mukesh Khanna revealed why he thinks actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar also can’t play the role.
In a new interview with YouTube channel Digital Commentary, Mukesh Khanna said that this isn’t the first time that rumours about the casting of the movie have surfaced on the internet. He also shared that before Ranveer Singh, there were rumours that Shah Rukh Khan might be playing the lead role.
Mukesh Khanna further emphasised that any star who has a fixed image is not suitable for the role of Shaktimaan. He believes that the iconic character requires a fresh face.
Speaking about SRK, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and more, Mukesh Khanna said, “Neither Shah Rukh Khan, nor Ajay Devgn or Akshay Kumar or Tiger Shroff can become Shaktimaan. Because the face that’s needed for Shaktimaan, none of them have it. Because they have a certain image.”
“We need a Shaktimaan who can teach the kids. I feel there should be a new guy, if you ask me,” the veteran actor added.
Mukesh Khanna also shared that after the show, they were in conversation with Star India for another show based on the character but it never materialised. “I said this is Star India’s loss, not my loss,” he said.
He also shared an update about the film and said, “If we make a movie, we still don’t know what the story will be. There are so many people, the Sony people… the conversation about the rights is still going on. Shaktimaan is not just a serial, or even Avengers, Shaktimaan is our mythology.”
On March 18, Mukesh Khanna shared a post on Instagram saying that he did not want Ranveer Singh in the role because of his “image.” However, a few hours later, Mukesh Khanna deleted the post.
The film based on Shaktimaan was announced in 2022 with Sony Pictures India serving as producers. However, more details about the movie are yet to be announced, including the final casting.
