Mukesh Khanna, best known for portraying the superhero Shaktimaan, has slammed Ekta Kapoor for ‘murdering’ Mahabharata. Ekta produced the show Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki in 2008 and it seems Mukesh Khanna has taken offence to it. The actor played the role of Bhishma in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat. Mahabharata and Ramayana have made a return to TV screens during the coronavirus induced lockdown.
In addition, Shaktimaan is also returning to TV to bring back a taste of nostalgia to the viewers. The actor had confirmed earlier that he is set to return in the sequel of the popular show. However, Mukesh Khanna said that he wouldn’t go the way of Ekta Kapoor with Mahabharat.
Slamming Ekta Kapoor’s take on Mahabharata, Mukesh Khanna told Mumbai Mirror:
“The new version of Shaktimaan cannot be the way Ekta Kapoor made Mahabharata (in 2008) by putting a tattoo on Draupadi’s shoulder. She had said that she was making Mahabharata for modern people. Sanskriti kabhi modern nahi ho sakti, putri. Jis din Sanskriti ko modern karoge, khatam ho jayegi.”
However, the actor didn’t stop there. He went on to add:
“If the serial name would be ‘Kyunki Greek Bhi Kabhi Hindustani the, then I would accept Ekta’s Mahabharat. Who has given them the right to slaughter an epic? They have changed the actual version of Devarath’s ‘Bhishma Pratigya’ to something else and created a vamp-like image for Satyavati, among other things in the show. They tried to be smarter than Vyas muni to which I have an objection. I want to point out that Ramayana and Mahabharata are not mythologies, they are our histories.”
Mukesh Khanna earlier took a dig at Sonakshi Sinha who failed to answer a question related to Ramayan on quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati.