Mukesh Khanna On Ranbir Kapoor As Ram: ‘Not Sure He Can Pull Off Maryada Purshottam'
Mukesh Khanna shares doubts about Ranbir Kapoor portraying Ram’s Maryada Purshottam image, stressing that the Ramayana requires strong content, not just a hefty budget of Rs 1,000 crore.
Mukesh Khanna, celebrated for his portrayal of Shaktimaan and Bhishma Pitamah in BR Chopra’s legendary 'Mahabharat' TV series, has expressed guarded hope for Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming 'Ramayana' adaptation. His outlook contrasts with his more critical stance on Om Raut’s 2023 blockbuster 'Adipurush', which starred Prabhas as Rama, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Saif Ali Khan as Ravana.
Mukesh Khanna on Ranbir Kapoor playing Rama
Khanna believes Ranbir Kapoor is a talented actor suited for the role of Rama, but acknowledges the shadow cast by Kapoor’s last film, Animal, a polarizing family crime drama directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga in 2023.
“They’re showing Rama is climbing trees and shooting arrows. Krishna or Arjuna can do that, but Rama won’t do it. If Rama proclaimed himself as a warrior, he would never ask monkeys to help him. He was enough, one man against Ravana,” Khanna said, emphasizing his vision of the mythic hero’s stature.
He continued, “From what I can see, I don’t know if Ranbir Kapoor can pull off the Maryada Purshottam image of Rama. He’s a good actor, but he has an image chasing him, and that’s Animal. I don’t have an objection with it. He could do it.”
Khanna also revealed a recent mix-up when he tried to share his concerns about Rama’s depiction in Ramayana: The Introduction on social media. “I shot a two-minute video to upload on my social media explaining my objection... but I was wrongly informed by my team that the visual isn’t real, but AI-generated by YouTubers,” he explained to Galatta India.
When asked about Ranbir Kapoor’s selection for Rama despite the actor’s open admission of enjoying beef, Khanna took a pragmatic stance: “I said I won’t comment. He’d have eaten beef, let it be.”
Mukesh Khanna on Ramayana
Despite his reservations, Khanna remains cautiously optimistic about Tiwari’s two-part adaptation but warns of the pitfalls given Bollywood’s recent attempts at retelling the epic.
“There can’t be a bigger subject than the Ramayana. But I’ve seen how they’ve made chutney out of Adipurush. Now, someone else is making it. If you make it with the same attitude, then the Hindus of today won’t spare you,” he asserted.
Khanna also stressed the importance of content over star power, drawing from his own experience with Shaktimaan: “Ramayana isn’t made of Rs 1,000 crore. It’s made of content. Just like Shaktimaan isn’t made of stars, but made of content even if you take a newcomer. If you put a star in Shaktimaan hoping it would work just on the basis of that, then you’re not even sure of Shaktimaan. Why do you need big actors in Ramayana?”
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