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‘I am losing crores’: Why Mukesh Khanna is blocking Ranveer Singh from becoming the next Shaktimaan
Mukesh Khanna revealed that he is losing crores of rupees by not greenlighting the cast of Shaktimaan, as he does not want a star to portray the iconic superhero.
Mukesh Khanna was all praise for Ranveer Singh.
For nearly two years, speculation has persisted around a planned reboot of the iconic Indian superhero Shaktimaan, with Ranveer Singh widely reported to be stepping into the role. The conversation took a contentious turn in 2024 when Mukesh Khanna, who originally portrayed the character, publicly stated that he would not allow Ranveer to take on the part. Since then, the veteran actor has reiterated his reservations on multiple occasions. Now, however, Mukesh has also admiration for Ranveer, who is currently riding high on the success of Dhurandhar 1 & 2.
‘Ranveer can do both Dhurandhar and Khilji’
In a conversation with Zoom, Mukesh praised Ranveer’s versatility while maintaining his stance. “See why I am against this is although he is a terrific actor, has terrific energy, he can do Dhurandhar, he can do Gully Boy, he can do Khilji,” he said, referencing Ranveer’s wide-ranging performances. At the same time, the veteran actor emphasised that playing Shaktimaan demands more than acting ability. “But in Shaktimaan, you need not just the actor but also the face. Like Prithviraj Chauhan should look like Prithviraj Chauhan when he stands, which Akshay Kumar did not look like in the film. They put on a wig and whatnot. When I played a historical character, it used to take me 1.5 hours just to change costumes. I used to wear a seven-inch crown.”
‘I am losing crores of rupees’
Mukesh further acknowledged that his resistance may come at a personal cost, revealing that Sony Pictures is eager to move ahead with the project. “It is my loss. I am losing crores of rupees as Sony is ready to give me crores of rupees. I said, ‘Wait, I don’t want this cast.’ They are adamant, and I am also adamant. They want a star, I don’t want a star. If I am allowed, I would conduct auditions across the country to find who will become Shaktimaan. You will get publicity and also find a boy who is good-looking, simple, and kind. For me, no actor who already has an image can become Shaktimaan.”
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In an earlier interaction with Siddharth Kannan, Mukesh Khanna revealed that Ranveer Singh had once met him in an attempt to secure the role. “It was an arranged meeting organized by Sony, where Ranveer came to convince me that he could play Shaktimaan. This wasn’t the first time he showed interest in the role.” Mukesh added that he had instead suggested Ranveer consider playing Tamraj Kilvish, the show’s iconic antagonist. “He wanted to convince me that he can play Shaktimaan. That meeting ended in no result,” he said.
The veteran actor also claimed that producer Aditya Chopra, had approached him years ago to acquire the rights to Shaktimaan. “Ten years ago, Aditya Chopra’s team contacted me, asking if I could give them the rights to Shaktimaan. Around that time, coincidentally, a photo of Ranveer Singh wearing Shaktimaan’s costume surfaced on social media. I refused to give them the rights but proposed that they collaborate with me instead. I didn’t want them to turn it into a disco drama.”
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