I want the legacy of Shaktimaan to go on and not necessarily with me: Mukesh Khanna

Written By: Ancela JamindarAfter more than four decades in showbiz, Mukesh Khanna, who has played iconic roles like Shaktimaan (in Shaktimaan) and Bhishma (in Mahabharat), recently made his D-Town debut with Vishwaguru.

Khanna, who was in Ahmedabad, says, “Usually, I don’t do regional films.

While I have a grip over Hindi, I am not fluent in Gujarati. I need to know the language to give something back to the project. However, I felt comfortable when the team told me that my character, a bureau chief, would be speaking in Hindi.”He adds, “Also, it was a very different film- a mixture of science fiction and spirituality, targeted at our youth.”‘My perspective towards OTT has changed’Talking about the OTT boom, Khanna says, “OTT has done what films and TV couldn’t do. It offers so much content which is done properly, without any time limit. To bring audiences back to theatres, films need to push boundaries. I feel our films have become average and repetitive, offering the same kind of stories with obscenity, manipulation, and blasphemy. Hindi films must fight against OTT.

Gone are the days when movies would run in theatres for 20-25 weeks.

”He admits, “Initially, I didn’t like OTT as it mostly has vulgar content without any censorship, which I had objected to since the beginning. So, I didn’t want to do OTT projects. But recently, I came across good shows, which changed my perspective.” ‘Shaktimaan is very much alive in people’s hearts’Khanna, who said yes to making a comeback as Shaktimaan for an audio series, says, “I was adamant not to change the concept, basic character, and story of Shaktimaan.

We wanted to keep the soul intact and with new adventures, Shaktimaan will solve today’s problems. Shaktimaan has resonated with people of all groups, and many generations have grown up with India’s first superhero.”He adds, “I remember mothers telling me that their kids, who refused to drink milk, would listen to him (Shaktimaan) and happily drink milk after watching the show. The show’s messages are relevant even today and even after so many years, the character is very much alive in the hearts of fans.

Even the ‘Sorry Shaktimaan’ meme keeps trending. I feel today’s kids need Shaktimaan more as compared to ’90s kids.”‘I have always had pleasant experiences in Gujarat’Khanna says, “I have always had pleasant experiences in Gujarat. People here have loved Bhishma and Shaktimaan. During the 2001 earthquake, Narendra Modiji had requested me to help the children in Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Surendranagar, Rajkot and other places, who were very scared to enter their homes after the earthquake.

I wore the Shaktimaan costume and met children across the state to motivate them to be brave. Gujarat holds a special place in my heart. I can understand Gujarati and speak a bit.”‘Why is the movie adaptation of Shaktimaan not out?’As per reports, Ranveer Singh will be playing Shaktimaan in the film adaptation. Khanna says, “The question is not when the movie adaptation of Shaktimaan will be out, but why is it not out? I want the legacy of Shaktimaan to go on, not necessarily with Mukesh Khanna, but with someone whose image is good and pure. It is not about the actor, but the image and aura of the actor should resonate with Shaktimaan.”

"Get the latest updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2."