‘Aise kyun kiya aapne…’, Mukesh Khanna slams Akshay Kumar’s portrayal of Prithviraj Chauhan, questions director’s authenticity regarding Hindu mythology

In 2022, Akshay Kumar portrayed the legendary warrior king, Prithviraj Chauhan, within the historical drama Samrat Prithviraj. Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, the film aimed to command the story of the Rajput king to existence. Whereas the film used to be praised for its huge scale and historical accuracy, Akshay’s portrayal of Prithviraj confronted some criticism, in particular regarding his physical appearance and the diagram it measured as a lot as the expectations of a resolve of such historical importance.

Gentle actor Mukesh Khanna, properly-known for his purpose as Shaktimaan, shared his views on Akshay’s portrayal all over an interview with Pinkvilla’s Hindi Dart. He emphasised the importance of physical authenticity when taking part in enormous characters in history.

Mukesh commented, “Ram, Krishna, even Shaktimaan, I’ll put apart them within the mix—they're iconic characters. You may perhaps now not trade their appearance.” He extra pressured that such revered figures require a definite stage of respect in how they're depicted. He identified that taking liberties with these characters may lead to backlash, referencing the controversial portrayal of Hanuman in but any other instance. “Hanuman asserting, ‘Hi there, your father’s oil will burn; my father’s Lanka will burn’ — that’s taking liberty, and of us protested.”

Mukesh continued his critique of Akshay’s portrayal by asserting, “Whoever performs the purpose should not ever decrease than look respect Prithviraj Chauhan when they stand.” He expressed that Akshay’s physical presence didn’t reasonably command the regal essence of the personality, regardless of his performing talents.

Mukesh also talked about a conversation he had with director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, where he puzzled the choice within the good thing about Akshay’s look within the film. “Maine toh unke director ko bhi yaha bitha ke interview le chuka hun major Chandraprakash ji ka. Maine bola, ‘Aisa kyun kiya aapne? Wig laga diya, aise ek mooch rakh di, aur woh Akshay Akshay dash raha hai (I even interviewed the director, Chandraprakash ji, and requested, ‘Why did you terminate this? You placed on a wig, gave him a mustache, nonetheless he silent seems to be like respect Akshay.)” For Khanna, the actor’s appearance didn’t terminate justice to the stature of Prithviraj Chauhan.

In conclusion, Mukesh emphasised the importance of embodying the personality physically. “Prithviraj Chauhan has a determined gait; the actor should look respect him when he stands. It requires labor.” He pressured that portraying such an iconic resolve demands bigger than just costumes or wigs—it requires an even dedication to shooting the essence of the personality’s presence.