4 days ago
Mukesh Khanna opens up on Ranbir Kapoor playing Ram in Ramayana, saying, 'Portraying Ram won't...'
Mukesh Khanna, famous for his iconic role as Bhishma Pitamah in the TV epic Mahabharat, is known for speaking his mind. Recently, he shared his thoughts on the upcoming film Ramayan, starring Ranbir Kapoor and directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
What does Mukesh Khanna say about Ranbir Kapoor playing Ram?
In an interview with Galatta India, Khanna expressed doubts if Ranbir Kapoor can truly embody the 'Maryada Purushottam'—the epitome of virtue and restraint that Ram is. He said, 'You are showing Ram climbing trees and shooting arrows. Krishna or Arjun can do that, but Ram would not. If Ram called himself a warrior, he would never ask for help from monkeys. He alone was enough to fight Ravan.'
Khanna also mentioned the challenge Ranbir faces because of his recent controversial film Animal, stating, 'He is a good actor, but he has an image from Animal. If you portray Ram as a fighter, people won't accept it. Ram accepted 14 years of exile with folded hands, endured Shabari's false hatred; he never used bows and arrows for show.'
Did Mukesh Khanna try to speak up before?
Khanna revealed he had made a short video expressing his concerns about the portrayal of Ram in the Ramayan: The Introduction teaser. However, his team informed him the clips he saw were AI-generated fake videos by YouTubers, so he decided not to upload it on social media.
What was Khanna's reaction to Ranbir's personal choices?
When a publication asked about Ranbir's casting given that he admitted to eating beef, Khanna replied, 'I said I won't comment. Maybe he ate it, maybe he stopped. Let it be.'
How does Khanna view the scale and content of Ramayan?
'Ramayan is the greatest story ever,' Khanna said. But he warned that making it with a 1000-crore budget won't guarantee success. 'Ramayan doesn't succeed because of money; it's content that matters. Just like Shaktimaan didn't become popular because of stars but because of its story.'
Is star power necessary for Ramayan?
Khanna was clear: 'If you put a star in Shaktimaan hoping the film will work, that means you don't trust the story itself. So why do you need big stars in Ramayan?' He pointed out that the movie already includes strong actors like Sunny Deol, Sai Pallavi, and Yash.
