Mukesh Khanna, the veteran actor best known for his roles as Bhishma Pitamah in the iconic TV series “Mahabharat” and as the superhero “Shaktimaan,” is known for his blunt and sharp remarks.
In an interview, Surendra Pal spoke fondly of Mukesh Khanna, highlighting their strong and ongoing friendship.
He expressed deep respect for Mukesh Khanna, particularly praising his portrayal of Bhishma Pitamah.
Mukesh Khanna was just 30 years old when he iconically portrayed the ancient warrior Bhishma Pitamah in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat (1988).
Surendra Pal addressed Mukesh Khanna’s opinions about Ranveer Singh playing Shaktimaan.
Mukesh Khanna once slammed Ranveer Singh for trying to play “Shaktimaan.” Ranveer tried to convince him for 3 hours.
‘Mukesh Khanna is too stubborn; he should reconsider Ranveer Singh’: Surendra
Surendra supported his right to decide, stating, “Mukesh is the best judge; it is his creation.” He acknowledged Mukesh Khanna’s protective stance towards the character.
However, Surendra also expressed his own view, suggesting Ranveer Singh could be a good fit.
Mukesh Khanna not only played Shaktimaan (1997–2005) but was also the writer and producer. He even conceptualised the show in 1981, long before its release.
“Ranveer Singh is not a bad choice. I really like him,” he said, mentioning he became a bigger fan after watching “Dhurandhar.”
He encouraged Mukesh Khanna to reconsider and be more open-minded about the casting choice.
What is the reason behind Mukesh Khanna against Ranveer’s casting as Shaktimaan?
Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot in 2022 attracted controversy. And this somehow convinced Mukesh Khanna that he wasn’t suitable for Shaktimaan. Speaking on the matter, Mukesh Khanna expressed his disapproval of Ranveer Singh and his wife, actress Deepika Padukone, for not objecting to a controversial photoshoot. He said-
That photoshoot marked the beginning of my aversion toward him. However, Ranveer claimed he didn’t actually take part in it, insisting he was only wearing underwear and had dismissed his promotional team.
Mukesh Khanna called ‘Mahabharat’ co-actors ‘chhichhoras’
Mukesh Khanna previously wanted to play Arjun’s role and was almost signed as Duryodhan, then Dronacharya, before finally playing Bhishma.
This is not the first time that Mukesh Khanna has made a statement. Once, he sparked controversy by publicly criticising his former co-stars from the mythological drama “Mahabharat.”
In a recent interview with BTV Gujarat Youtue channel, Mukesh Khanna didn’t hold back, alleging that many of his fellow cast members didn’t live up to the noble characters they portrayed on screen. He stated-
The entire cast of Mahabharat, forgive me, was filled with ‘chhichhoras’ (a Hindi term for frivolous or immoral people). Arjun, Duryodhan, you name them… I was the odd one out.
‘The man who has the most affairs is a real man’: Ravi Chopra to Mukesh Khanna
Director Ravi Chopra with Nitish Bharadwaj on the sets of ‘Mahabharat.’
Mukesh Khanna has also once recalled a comment made by director Ravi Chopra, who reportedly stated, “The man who has the most affairs is a real man.”
Hearing this, Mukesh strongly disagreed with this sentiment, saying that a man’s worth isn’t measured by affairs but by how well he takes care of his family. He criticised the decline of Indian values and the increasing glorification of infidelity in today’s culture.
Mukesh used to call Pankaj Dheer a ‘convent pandav’
Mukesh Khanna with Pankaj Dhee and Gufi Paintel.
After actor Pankaj Dheer’s death in October 2025, Mukesh Khanna shared a fond memory. He revealed he playfully nicknamed Dheer, who portrayed Karna in “Mahabharat,” a “convent Pandav” or “English Pandav.” He explained that Pankaj’s understanding of the epic came not from the original Mahabharat text, but from the novel “Mrityunjay.”
Once, a Gujarati actress described him as a ‘prince among frogs’
He also shared an anecdote about a Gujarati actress who worked on “Mahabharat” and described him as “a prince among frogs,” suggesting that his moral stance made him stand out negatively among his peers.
Final day of Mahabharat shooting were too emotional
Nitish Bharadwaj, who played Lord Krishna, initially refused the role, believing an older, more experienced actor was needed to portray the character’s depth.
Mukesh Khanna also spoke about the emotional final day of “Mahabharat’s” shoot, footage of which is still popular online. While his colleagues were crying and embracing, Mukesh Khanna admitted that he remained detached.
“You can see in the video as well that I am keeping my distance. They were crying and wiping each other’s tears, but I was amused. My shoot had ended a little earlier…” he said, singling out Nitish Bharadwaj (Krishna) and Firoz Khan (Arjun).
However, he embraced the emotional bond of the team.
Why did Mukesh Khanna skip “Mahabharat” reunion episode on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’?
The “Mahabharat” reunion episode on “The Kapil Sharma Show” in 2020l.
Mukesh Khanna did not attend the “Mahabharat” reunion episode on “The Kapil Sharma Show.” He cited the reason behind this was the long-standing differences with both Kapil Sharma and Gajendra Chauhan, who played Yudhishtir in the series.
He felt that the show was incomplete without Bhishma Pitamah. He also mentioned a statement by Yudhisthira that Mukesh Khanna was not invited because they needed people with a sense of humour. Mukesh retorted, questioning whether cricketers are asked about their sense of humour when they appear on such shows, stating that they are treated as VIPs regardless.
Once called Kapil’s show vulgar
In an interview with Bollywood Thikana, Mukesh Khanna said that he didn’t like shows like The Kapil Sharma Show or Bigg Boss, as he considered their content vulgar.
He stated-
“I won’t say they made me ‘anti-Kapil,’ but my vibrations didn’t match with him. The person might be good, but you don’t feel comfortable with him. I don’t think he even realises it, but I had told Krushna Abhishek. They used to do skits on Comedy Circus, and the mistake Kapil made was that he wore Shaktimaan’s costume, and in front of him was a girl, with a bed shown on the side. I said, ‘What the hell!’ We’ve made this character so righteous, and you’re showing that since he’s busy, he isn’t going to a girl—otherwise, he would be wooing them. You’re doing this just for the sake of comedy. I called Krushna and questioned him. Krushna told me that he was supposed to do this act, but Kapil took it from him.”
