Mukesh Khanna says ‘Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar or other present-day actors cannot play Shaktimaan’

When the interviewer pointed out that Ranveer Singh has also excelled in serious roles, Mukesh Khanna acknowledged Ranveer’s skill and dedication to his craft. However, he remained firm in his stance that Ranveer isn’t the right fit to play Shaktimaan. “In this industry, it’s the producer who casts an actor, not the other way around,” Mukesh said.

Speaking about Ranveer Singh’s controversial naked photoshoot, Mukesh Khanna shared how his aversion toward the Gully Boy actor began with that incident. He said, “That photoshoot was the start of my aversion towards him. However, Ranveer told me he didn’t actually do it. He said he was wearing underwear and had fired his promotional team. I believed him, but later, when I looked back, I remembered his statement to the media, where he said he was comfortable with it. I recall giving a statement, ‘You may be comfortable, but we aren’t.'”

He added, “His wife was also comfortable, according to a statement they gave to the media. She also didn’t object. Every wife would object. Don’t be so advanced.”

This isn’t the first time Mukesh Khanna has criticized Ranveer Singh. Previously, he posted a video on Instagram refuting rumors about Ranveer being cast as Shaktimaan and also slammed the actor for his nude photoshoot. In the video, Mukesh even advised Ranveer to pursue roles in countries where nudity is more common.

‘Akshay Kumar is choosing wrong films’

Mukesh also shared his experience of working with Akshay Kumar during the early days of his career in the film Saugandh. Talking about Akshay, he said, “During filming of Saugandh, the fight master told me that they give this boy (Akshay Kumar) training at the Juhu beach and whatever they teach him, he does better than them,” he said. He added, “Akshay was a street fighter in Indonesia, he also worked as a chef there. So, he came after learning everything. I knew this boy would go far.” Mukesh also revealed that Akshay would exercise daily at 6am in the morning. “He is one of the fittest man in the industry,” he said.

When asked about Akshay Kumar’s recent string of flops, Mukesh Khanna said, “I even sent him a message about it. While he’s selecting films, he’s choosing the wrong ones.” The veteran actor emphasised that Akshay has built an image as a fighter or comedian and should focus on roles that align with that.

During the interaction, Mukesh declared that even Akshay can’t play the role of Shaktimaan. He took example of the actor’s film Samrat Prithviraj and said, “Akshay just took the liberty of wearing a wig and a moustache. He was looking like Akshay Kumar and not Prithviraj Chauhan. He didn’t work on his body language.”

During the interaction, Mukesh Khanna also opened up about being compared to Amitabh Bachchan and how his resemblance to the superstar’s voice and features impacted his career. He admitted that he was often accused of mimicking Big B, especially after dubbing for an ad where he imitated Amitabh’s voice.