Mukesh Khanna Comments on Ranveer Singh Playing His Iconic Character ‘Shakitimaan’ in Now-Deleted Video, Says ‘Have Put my Foot Down…’

Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna recently took down the speculations regarding Ranveer Singh portraying the iconic character Shaktimaan. Read along.

Mumbai: Actor Mukesh Khanna, who is known for playing the role of Shaktimaan on TV, recently reacted to the speculations that Ranveer Singh was being considered for the role of ‘Shakitmaan’ in a big-screen adaptation of the show. Khanna took it to his social media handle and shared a video. Soon after sharing the video, his remarks fueled multiple controversies. Even though there is no official confirmation from the makers, the grapevine has been abuzz with strong rumours of Ranveer playing the iconic character on the screen. Mukesh Khanna has condemned the same rumours multiple times and it was just another addition to his longtime grudge with Ranveer stepping into his shoes for the film.

Mukesh Khanna Expresses His Disappointment With Ranveer Playing Shaktimaan:

In an Instagram post that now stands deleted, Khanna explained how he has always been against Ranveer playing the character which made him a household name back in the ’90s. Khanna also thinks that playing Shaktimaan comes with a lot of responsibility. He adds that it’s not just about playing a superhero on-screen but also about putting the right example in front of the kids who have always been the major target audience for the show, and now for the film as well. He spoke in Hindi in the video and said, “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. (The entire social media was filled with rumours for months that Ranveer would do Shaktimaan. And everyone was angry about it. I remained silent) (sic).”

Khanna asserted that it was only after news channels started flashing the same news that he decided to intervene. He went ahead: “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. I have put my foot down. Ab Aaga aage dekhiye hota hai kya? (But, when channels also started announcing that Ranveer had been signed. So I had to open my mouth. And I said that no matter how big a star a person with such an image is, why should he not be Shaktimaan? I have put my foot down. Now let’s see what happens next) (sic).”

In the video, the Guddu actor also advised Ranveer Singh to go and work in countries where nudity is common on screen. He also mentioned a few names and asked the actor to find work in Finland, Spain, and other countries. Khanna stated, “Work in films where you will get to do a nude scene in every third scene I have told the producers, that your competition is not with Spider-Man, Batman, Captain Planet. Shaktimaan is not just a superhero, he has also become a super teacher. Now, 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 (sic).”

Earlier, it was speculated that Ranveer may start with the shoot of Shaktimaan this year. As per a report published in News18, “Right after Don 3, it’s time for Shaktimaan. The film has been in the writing stage for over 3 years now and the team has finally cracked a script that’s worthy of doing justice to the legacy of Shaktimaan. The film will be directed by Basil Joseph, with Sony Pictures India and Sajid Nadiadwala as the producers (sic).”

What are your thoughts on Mukesh Khanna’s remarks? Do you think Ranveer Singh should drop Shaktimaan?