Veteran actor Surendra Pal, who played the iconic role of Tamraj Kilvish in Shaktimaan, has endorsed Dhurandhar 2 star Ranveer Singh for the role of the superhero originally played by Mukesh Khanna.
Mukesh Khanna, who created and produced Shaktimaan, has repeatedly opposed Ranveer Singh taking the character forward in a film format.
In an interview, podcaster Siddharth Kannan asked Surendra Pal who can play Shaktimaan. In his response, the actor said Ranveer Singh is the “ideal choice” to essay the role.
“Ranveer Singh is not a bad choice. Mujhe toh bahut achha lagta hai aur jabse maine Dhurandhar dekhi hai tabse main uska aur bhi bada prashansak ho gaya hoon (I really like him and I have become a even bigger fan after Dhurandhar). I think he is ideal for that (Shaktimaan). Mukesh ji should give it a second thought.
“He’s stuck to one thought, he needs to widen his horizons a bit. Mujhe Ranveer Singh bahut achha lagta hai aur ye meri apni choice hai (I like Ranveer Singh a lot and that’s my choice). Maybe he is not Mukesh ji‘s choice. He’s a very fine actor. He has impressed me in every film I’ve seen him in,” said Surendra Pal, who also worked with Mukesh Khanna in Mahabharat.
In the interview, the actor described the original Shaktimaan star a “good human being”.
“I don’t see any shortcomings in him. Wonderful man and actor. I have always appreciated him and praised his work,” he added.
Surendra Pal also likened Shaktimaan to Mukesh Khanna’s baby.
“He’s the best judge. Shaktimaan is his own baby. He will try that his baby gives the best performance and that it has a good image. He treats Shaktimaan like his own child even today. He will not make any compromises. I know how stubborn he is.”
In a recent interview, Mukesh Khanna explained why Ranveer Singh was unsuitable to play Shaktimaan.
“He’s a terrific actor, terrific guy, terrific energy man, he can do Dhurandhar, Gully Boy, and Khilji (in Padmaavat). But you need not just the actor, but also the face. To play Shaktimaan, uske chehre par shaleenta dikhni chahiye… Masti nahin, scheming face nahin hona chahiye jo sahab inka hai… inka face aisa hai, ‘Chal dance karte hain aaja…’ Shaktimaan ye nahin bolega. (To play Shaktimaan, the actor should have a certain decency on his face. No mischief, he shouldn’t have a scheming face, something that he has… His face is like ‘let’s dance’. Shaktimaan won’t say anything like this) That is the problem,” he had said.
Ranveer Singh, who is currently basking in the success of Dhurandhar 2, is expected to be next seen in Pralay.
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