Today in Success Story, the story of actor Mukesh Khanna.
If you want to gain respect in this industry, first learn to respect yourself.
Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna says this. During his nearly 50-year career, he prioritized ideals and principles over money. Rejected bids worth millions of rupees. I didn’t go to any filmmaker’s door to ask for work. He didn’t want to play the role of a supporting hero, so he stayed home without a job for years.
Then in 1988, BR Chopra created the TV show Mahabharata. Mukesh Khanna was seen in the role of Bhishma Pitamah in this show. After this show, the industry discovered his abilities. In 1997, he debuted the second innings on television through Shaktimaan. This show made him very famous among the younger generation, especially children.
He wanted to become a visual engineer and didn’t like acting. Mukesh Khanna’s ancestors resided in Multan (now Pakistan). After partition in 1947, his family moved to Bombay (Mumbai). He was born on June 23, 1958. He was the youngest of four brothers. The house was on Marine Drive, Mumbai. It was a joint family, everyone lived together.
Mukesh Khanna had no interest in acting. He must have done plastic engineering. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. They also played cricket together. Used to throw bowling in bowling. Used to compare yourself to Kapil Dev.
Mukesh Khanna has worked in over 60 films in his career.
Mukesh Khanna was not advised by his elder brother to enter the field of acting, but his elder brother loved acting. His name was Jaggi Khanna. He wanted to become an actor, but his family stopped him from getting married. Then he motivated brother Mukesh to enter this field.
Another brother of Khanna advised him to join a law school. There he studied LLB. He participated in college plays and plays during the three years of study. It was there that Mukesh Khanna first felt he could act. After this, he took admission in the Film Institute of India, Pune.
Now, Mukesh Khanna’s success story in his own words. After leaving the Film Institute, I had a film ‘Khooni’ in 1978, but it was never released. However, through this, people in the industry learned that a large new player had entered the market. Then signed several films simultaneously. Later, he made his debut in 1981 with a film titled ‘Roohi’. Interestingly, Roohi was my 15th film signed, but it was the first one to release.
People were like, “I’m copying Amitabh Bachchan.” I had just entered the industry when people started comparing me negatively to Amitabh Bachchan. People started saying that my voice and looks resembled Amitabh Bachchan. I copy them. At that time, who would explain to them that I have my own body, my own voice and my own talent. Why should I copy another person?
Relatives said: go to Bollywood parties, make contacts there. As soon as I joined the industry, I signed 5 films in a week. Most films failed. I started getting advice about going to Bollywood parties.
My close friends used to say that if you go to parties, you will get to know people. Then you will get good projects. I always thought that you shouldn’t lend a hand to anyone for work. I could have easily gotten the supporting hero role. However, this was not to be the case.
Yash Chopra’s words hurt me. One day my elder brother Jaggi took my show reel and went to show it to Yash Chopra. There were clips related to my acting in this trailer. Yash Chopra liked my work, but he said something that shouldn’t have been said. He said when we buy foreign alcohol, why should we buy local alcohol? What he meant was that when I have stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna, then why should I cast a new actor like Mukesh Khanna in my film.
Well, today you are interviewing the same Mukesh Khanna.
Before getting Mahabharata, I was inactive for 2 years. From my debut in 1978 until 1985, I worked in dozens of films. After that he stayed at home for two or three years. In 1988, I got an offer for the television series Mahabharata. I’m just sad that my brother Jaggi didn’t get to watch Mahabharata. He left this world before the series even came out.
I turned down the role of Duryodhana and then I got a call from Dingo Pental to play Bhishma in Mahabharata. In addition to being an actor, he was also a casting director. Goofy Paintal and show maker BR Chopra wanted me to play the role of Duryodhana. I refused to play negative roles. I wanted the role of Arjun or Karna. However, both of these roles were given to someone else. Then I got the role of Bhishma Pitamah. History bears witness to what happened after that.
It is not acceptable to be a woman on screen. I think I could have played the role of Arjun better because I have read the entire Mahabharata. I know the essence of each character. However, whatever happens, there is a reason behind it. If I had played the role of Arjun, I would have had to become Brihannala in one sequence. It was not at all acceptable for me to be seen in women’s clothing. So whatever happened, it turned out well.
According to the Mahabharata story, Brihannala was the eunuch form of Arjuna. Arjun had taken the form of Brihannala during his exile. The person seen in the photo is actor Firoz Khan. He played the character of Arjun in the series Mahabharata.
I don’t have as much money as Shahrukh-Aamir, but I have always preferred principles and ideals over money over goodwill. Big stars like Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan will have crores and billions of rupees. I may not have much money, but I have earned billions of rupees worth of goodwill, which they don’t have. When we leave this world, this good will will accompany us.
I can’t do my best to find work, people consider me arrogant. They say I have a lot of arrogance in me. Nothing like that. I just keep my self-respect above all else, so my words seem a little mean. I can’t wait for someone to find work. People say you shouldn’t speak like that against everyone. Will be boycotted from the industry.
I tell them that those who are hungry for work will boycott. It doesn’t matter if someone gives me work or not. Even today, I have the ability to make films on my own.
Whoever needs to be respected, I do. Someone tell me if Mukesh Khanna has ever said anything bad about Dilip Kumar. I always respected him. He also gave importance to my work. He was very impressed after seeing me in the role of Bhishma in Mahabharata. He also congratulated me.
Shaktimaan was made by borrowing 75 lakhs, the show broke records. After Bhishma Pitamah, the biggest highlight of Mukesh Khanna’s career was the TV show Shaktimaan. There is an interesting story behind the making of Shaktimaan.
Mukesh Khanna said, “A child in my neighborhood played with little superhero toys all day. He also bathed and washed them. I was wondering why we didn’t have any superhero characters here. Then the concept of Shaktimaan came to my mind and that of one of my friends. However, I didn’t have the money to do it. The budget for superhero shows was higher.
Then I met a gentleman. I borrowed 75 lakhs from him. He didn’t charge me any interest. Within a year or two, I paid his money back.
This show has broken numerous audience records. Especially the children really liked it. There was so much excitement that children started trying to be like Shaktimaan. Because of this, incidents also started happening. Later, Mukesh Khanna himself had to come forward and explain himself.
After Mahabharata and Ramayana, Shaktimaan was the most loved on Doordarshan.
The telecast took place in 1997, the show Shaktimaan suddenly closed after 104 episodes telecast 27 years ago in 1997. It was abruptly closed in 2005. The reason for the closure of the show was a financial dispute between Mukesh Khanna and Doordarshan.
Mukesh Khanna had once said that people from Doordarshan had started charging a lot of money from him. It was for this reason that he began to suffer losses. In fact, earlier, producers had to pay their own money to get serials aired on Doordarshan.
Doordarshan used to decide how much money to take. After completing 104 episodes, Doordarshan increased the fees to Rs 10.8 lakh. Initially, this amount was 2.8 lakhs. This started to prove to be a loss-making deal for Khanna, so he decided to end the series suddenly.
———————– the previous episode of Success Story here.
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