Think of Mukesh Khanna and the image of ‘Shaktimaan’ springs to mind. Or is it ‘Bheeshma Pitamaha’. He is one of those rare actors who lives out two screen characters. As Mukesh Khanna says: ‘I totally believe in destiny and I was destined to give ‘Aashirwad‘ (rewind to Bheeshma in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat). But there is more to the making of Mukesh Khanna so lets go back a little and get some lowdown on the real ‘Shaktimaan‘.
Graduating from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Khanna wanted to join a plastic engineering college in Kanpur but fell short by 0.5 per cent. That avenue closed off, he went ahead and did his ‘LLB’ from the Government Law College.
From science to law. The last thing on this tall, broad and handsome man’s mind was ‘acting’. For Khanna, it was his brother who was behind his move to acting. His brother (who has since died) believed he had what it took to be a star and goaded him on to try his hand at it.
And as the clich goes there was no looking back. So he went and joined the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune where he realised that his dialogue delivery was above average. “I feel all my mugging in Law College came handy and I reel off page after page without any difficulty,” he says.
His first ‘break’ came when he was signed by the theatre director Nariender Bedi for a movie called ‘Khooni’. The film unfortunately was never released as Bedi “expired in the middle of shooting.”
For Khanna the 80s constituted his ‘film era’ and he signed 10 to 15 films. ‘Ruhi, Capt. Bari, and Dard e Dil, to name a few, were box office disasters. The film industry closed its doors to him and he was labelled a flop hero.
Khanna has not forgiven Bollywood for that rejection: “I have a grudge against the film industry because they want to take stars only if they have a hit behind them even if they don’t fit the role. No one wants to take a risk with a talented star just because he has flop films to his name. Talent does not count here.”
The 90s was when he finally struck gold and it was television which gave him the recognition he craved. The serial ‘Mahabharat‘ happened and Khanna got his due break. He became the ‘Bheeshma Pitamaha‘, a role that was so strong that he still plays it at times in real life, more often than not during election campaigns for the BJP.
His home production ‘Shaktimaan‘ gave him his second big shot at superstardom. The international fame that he has garnered from the two serials is something he treasures. Still an eligible bachelor, he is fully involved with his merchandise company of the brand Shaktimaan and his production company Bheeshm.
All things considered, this ‘flop’ Bollywood actor, hasn’t had such a bad innings.
Television Series Done By Mukesh khanna
- 1986 Bahadur Shah Zafar DD National
- 1988–1990 Mahabharat Bhishma DD National
- 1990 Chunni Karamjit Singh DD National
- 1994–1996 Chandrakanta Janbaaz/Meghawat DD National
- 1994–1996 The Great Maratha Ibrahim Khan Gardi DD National
- 1995 Vishwamitra Vishwamitra DD National
- 1995–1996 Marshall Marshall DD National
- 1995–1996 Saraab Ajay/Vijay
- 1996–1998 Yug DD National
- 1997–1998 Vishwaas Vijay Verma Zee TV
- 1997 Mahayodha Virat Also Producer
- 1997–2005 Shaktimaan Shaktimaan/Pandit Gangadhar Shastri/Major Ranjit Singh/Shri Satya DD National Also Producer
- 2002–2003 Aryamaan – Brahmaand Ka Yodha Aryamaan/Ojwan DD National Also Producer
- 2003 Deewar Vikram Singh
- 2003 Ehsaas Digvijaya Singh Rathore
- 2007 Sautela Vikram Arya Also Producer
- 2008 Kal Hamara Hai Professor Vimal Kant Vishnoyi
- 2008 Waqt Batayega Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya Biswajeet Raichowdhury
- 2009 Ssshhhh…Phir Koi Hai – Nishaan Panini Guruji (Episode 194 – Episode 201) STAR One
- 2012–2013 Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara Purushottam Deewan
- 2013 Hamara Hero Shaktimaan.Shaktimaan Also producer
- Television film
- 2016 Waaris Lala Pratap Singh Bajwa aka Lalaji
Films Done By Mukesh Khanna
- 1981 Roohi
- 1982 Waqt Ke Shahzade
- 1983 Dard-E-Dil Govinda
- 1984 Captain Barry
- 1985 Mujhe Kasam Hai
- 1991 Saugandh Chaudhary Sarang
- 1991 Saudagar Gagan
- 1992 Tahalka Major Krishna Rao
- 1992 Yalgaar Mahendra Ashwini Kumar
- 1993 Meri Aan Commissioner Ashfaque Khan
- 1993 Kundan Shanno’s brother
- 1993 Rani Aur Maharani
- 1993 Shaktimaan Diler
- 1994 Rakhwale
- 1994 Mohabbat Ki Aarzoo Rai Bahadur Mahendra Pratap Singh
- 1994 Insaaniyat Narrator
- 1994 Betaj Badshah Balwan
- 1994 Main Khiladi Tu Anari i Arjun Joglekar
- 1994 Amaanat Agarwal Seth
- 1994 Aao Pyar Karen Shankar
- 1995 Police Lockup Inspector Pratha
- 1995 Hukumnama
- 1995 Pathreela Rasta Inspector Arjun
- 1995 Reshma
- 1995 Jawab Rajeshwar
- 1995 Paandav Ashwin Kumar
- 1995 Maidan-E-Jung S.P. Arun
- 1995 Policewala Gunda Inspector Chauhan
- 1995 Nazar Ke Samne Badshahan Khan
- 1995 Raja Rana Mahendra Pratap Garhwal
- 1995 Taaqat Police Inspector Khushwant Singh Bedi
- 1995 Guddu Vikram Bahadur (Guddu’s father)
- 1995 Veer ‘Tiger’
- 1995 Barsaat Baba (Badal’s father)
- 1996 Jagannath
- 1996 Himmat Inspector D’Souza
- 1996 Himmatwar Inspector Rajeshwar
- 1996 Bal Brahmachari Thakur Raghuveer Singh
- 1997 Aakhri Sanghursh Shakti Singh
- 1997 Nazarr Commissioner
- 1997 Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya
- 1997 Judge Mujrim Mangal Singh
- 1997 Agnee Morcha
- 1998 Mahayuddh
- 1998 Keemat:They Are Back Suraj Pratap Singh
- 1998 Zulm-O-Sitam Ins. Liyaqat Khan
- 1999 Jaalsaaz Advocate D.K. Khanna
- 1999 International Khiladi Bismillah (Devraj’s Guardian)
- 2000 Gang Lala
- 2000 Khauff S.P. Jaidev Singh
- 2000 Hera Pheri Police Inspector Prakash
- 2001 Censor
- 2001 Ek Aur Jung
- 2001 Hamari Bahu
- 2003 Tada
- 2004 Plan Alibhai (Mussa’s Boss)
- 2004 Mission Mumbai Inspector Indrajeet Hindi
- 2005 Dhana 51 Telugu film
- 2005 Hanuman Hanuman (voice)
- 2005 The Film
- 2009 Chal Chalein Justice Bharat Kumar
- 2010 Barood : (The Fire) – A Love Story Abhay Kumar
- 2012 Akkad Bakkad Bam Be Bo Ins. Vikram
- 2012 Krishna Aur Kans Akroor (voice)
- 2014 Ardha Gangu Ardha Gondya Marathi
- 2014 Kapurthala filmm
- 2014 Rajadhi Raja Sikhander Malayalam film