Despite being aware of his habit of stirring the pot, actor Mukesh Khanna seems to have initiated a new controversy, after commenting about the casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram in an upcoming adaptation of the Ramayana. Khanna had previously voiced his complaints about the Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, which he repeated once again. In an interview, the actor wondered if Ranbir's real-life image would affect the audience's perception of him in the sacred role. Khanna also hinted that Ranbir's blockbuster film Animal, which was controversial itself, could also impact whether he is accepted in the role of Ram. In an interview with mid-day, the actor initially declined to comment about Ranbir. "I won't say anything about this, if I do, they'll accuse me of commenting about everyone and everything. They've ruined my reputation. I recently commented about Jackie Shroff's son. I'm not rude, but I speak my mind. If they're making a Ramayana, comparisons with Arun Govil will be inevitable," he said, making a reference to the actor who played Ram in the popular television adaptation of the epic. Also read - ‘Akshay Kumar admitted the tide has turned against him, rejected my film offer’: Mukesh Khanna shares details of private meeting Asked if he feels there is any actor in the film industry right now who would be ideal for the role of Ram, Khanna said, "What Arun Govil did with the role has become the gold standard. All I can say is that whoever plays Ram must embody Ram; he shouldn't look like Raavan. In their real life, if they are a (lampat chhichhora) lewd hooligan, then it will show on screen. If you're playing Ram, you're not allowed to party and drink. But who am I to decide who plays Ram?" he said. Khanna warned filmmakers to 'be careful' about who they've cast to play Ram, and cited the example of Prabhas being rejected in the role. "He wasn't accepted by the public, despite being such a huge star. Not because he's a bad actor, but because he doesn't look like Ram. The actor playing Ram now is the beacon of the Kapoor family. He's a fine actor. But I will look at his face, and he should look like Ram. He's just done Animal, and his negative personality was highlighted in that movie. I hope that doesn't disturb this." Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana will be presented in two parts, with the first part set for a Diwali 2026 release. The film also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.
