Amid reports of Bollywood star Ranveer Singh playing Shaktimaan in his next, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, who had become a household name with his role of India's very own super hero, has expressed his disappointment with the actor and has objected to his casting in the film.
Khanna played the original Shaktimaan in the television series, which aired from 1997 to 2005, and a couple of years ago, it was announced that a film will now be made based on the much-loved character. While Ranveer's name has time and again cropped up along with the film's chatter, the actor has neither confirmed nor denied that he will be essaying the role of Shaktimaan in the film.
And now, Khanna has slammed those who wish to see Ranveer as Shaktimaan and even schooled the actor for hoping to be a part of the film. Taking a dig at Ranveer's viral nude photoshoot, the veteran actor said, "Go and live in another country like Finland or Spain, that have nudist camps. Go there, open it up. Work in films where you will get to do a nude scene in every third scene."
Khanna also wrote in his social media post that an actor with "such an image" cannot play the role of Shaktimaan, no matter how big a star he is. "I have put my foot down," he wrote.
He also asked the producers to "avoid" Ranveer. "If he thinks he is smarter than us by showing his body, then avoid him," Khanna stated.
The veteran actor further explained that Shaktimaan was not at par with superheroes like Spiderman or Batman, but he was way beyond them. "Shaktimaan has become a super teacher. Now, the actor who plays the role should have the quality that when he speaks, people will listen. There are big actors, of course, but it is their image that comes in between," he said.
He added that he does not have any actor on his mind right now who would be fit to play Shaktimaan on screen, or else the film would have gone on floors by now.
A few days ago, several reports had gone viral that after being put on the back burner for a couple of years, the producers are all set to revive Shaktimaan, the film, with Ranveer Singh playing the titular role. It will reportedly be helmed by Basil Joseph and the shooting is expected to begin in 2025.
