PremiumWhy Mukesh Khanna does not want Ranveer Singh to play the role of Shaktimaan
India’s desi superhero, Shaktimaan, was originally played by actor Mukesh Khanna
Last Updated: 02.46 PM, Mar 18, 2024
Ranveer Singh has showcased his acting prowess on the silver screen since his acting debut in Band Baaja Baaraat, alongside Anushka Sharma. Known for his funky outfit choices and power-packed performances, Ranveer Singh was rumoured to be reprising the role of India’s iconic superhero, Shaktimaan, in his upcoming project. Reacting to these speculations, actor Mukesh Khanna, who originally played the role of the desi superhero, said that an actor like Ranveer cannot play Shaktimaan.
Also read: Original Shaktimaan Mukesh Khanna breaks his silence on whether Ranveer Singh will replace him
Mukesh Khanna on Ranveer Singh portraying Shaktimaan
Mukesh shared a YouTube thumbnail on his Instagram channel, featuring Mukesh in his Shaktimaan costume, alongside Ranveer Singh. He captioned the post in Hindi with, “Pura social media mahinon se is rumour se bhara pada tha ki Ranveer karega Shaktimaan. Aur har koi naaraz tha ise lekar. Main chup raha. Lekin jub channels ne bhi elaan karna shuru kar diya ki Ranveer sign ho gaya hai. To mujhe muhn kholana pada. Aur maine bol diya ki aisi image wala vyakti kitna bhi bada star kyon na ho Shaktimaan nahin ban sakta. (The whole social media has been flooded with news that Ranveer Singh is going to play the role of Shaktimaan and everyone was upset regarding it. I was quiet but when the channels also declared that Ranveer has signed the film, then I had to break my silence. I said that, however, big the personality is, an actor with this kind of an image can never play Shaktimaan.)”
Mukesh in his YouTube video also declared that he has told producers not to think Shaktimaan as just a superhero, but also as a teacher. He said, “The actor who takes on the role should have the quality that when he speaks, people will listen. There are big actors, but their image comes in the middle.”
Mukesh Khanna on Ranveer’s nude photoshoot
Speaking about Ranveer’s nude photoshoot for Paper magazine, Mukesh said, “If he feels comfortable with nudity then he should go to countries where he can do nude scenes in every third scene.”
In 2022, Sony Pictures India announced the film adaptation of India’s original superhero Shaktimaan. A tweet on their official X page read, “After the super success of our many superhero films in India and all over the globe, it's time for our desi Superhero.”