Mukesh Khanna is known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan in the eponymous television serial, which ran from the late 1990s and mid 2000s. Recently, the actor talked about the prospect of Ranveer Singh taking on the role in a feature film. In 2022, Sony Pictures India announced the development of a Shaktimaan film. Ranveer was expected to play the lead role in the film, with director Basil Joseph in talks to direct it.
In a conversation with Zoom, Mukesh said that while Ranveer is apt for roles in films such as Gully Boy, Dhurandhar, and Padmaavat, he is not suitable for Shaktimaan. Mukesh acknowledged that Ranveer is "a terrific actor and a terrific man," the role of Shaktimaan requires not only the right actor but the apt face as well.
Mukesh Khanna said that the face of the actor playing Shaktimaan has to have a certain decency to it. He suggested that Ranveer's face mirrors qualities such as mischief and a sense of fun. "His face gives off that 'Let's dance' vibe. Shaktimaan will not say something such as this," the actor added.
This is not the first time Mukesh spoke about Ranveer Singh in the context of Shaktimaan. Reportedly, he recently said that the Dhurandhar star desperately wanted to portray the role in a feature film. In a press conference, Mukesh denied the speculation about him making Ranveer wait long for a conversation with him about the role. "I didn’t force him to wait. He sat for three hours because he wanted to," the actor said at the time. "I decide who plays Shaktimaan. Producers cast actors, an actor can’t cast a producer. You come to my office and say that you want to be Shaktimaan, it’s not allowed," he added.
