Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday (October 15) after battling cancer. He is best remembered for his iconic portrayal of Karna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat. As fans across generations mourn his loss, an old interview of the late actor has resurfaced, shedding light on an interesting twist behind how he landed his most memorable role.
In a conversation with Lehren Retro a few years ago, Dheer revealed that he was initially offered the role of Arjuna, not Karna. He recalled, "When I auditioned, the dialogue writers Rahi Masoom Raza, Bhring Tupkari sahab, and Pandit Narendra Sharma ji were all there. They felt I was a great fit for the role of Arjuna. We shook hands, and I signed the contract."
However, the actor refused to play Arjuna because the role required him to shave off his moustache to portray Brihannala. "BR Chopra called me and said I would also need to portray Brihannala. I was like, ‘No way, I can’t do that.’ I explained that my face just wouldn’t look right without it. He replied, ‘Are you an actor or not? You’re turning down such an important role over a moustache?'" Dheer had said with a laugh.
The disagreement led to BR Chopra dismissing him from the project. "Chopra sahab told me, ‘Get out of this door and don’t come back.’ He literally threw me out of his office. My contract was ripped up, and for six months, I wandered around doing dubbing work," Dheer had shared.
But destiny had other plans. When the makers struggled to find the right actor to play Karna, BR Chopra reached out to him again. "Then Chopra sir called me back, and I believe that was destiny at play. He asked if I could take on the role of Karna. I was curious and asked him, ‘Sir, I don’t have to shave off my moustache, right?’ He assured me I wouldn’t have to. It truly felt like fate that I ended up playing Karna," he had recalled fondly.
That one decision and twist of fate went on to define Pankaj Dheer's illustrious career. His portrayal of Karna remains one of Indian television's most powerful and emotionally resonant performances.
