With Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana nearing its release, Khanna's remarks are being viewed in the context of the upcoming film. Referring to examples involving Prabhas and Shah Rukh Khan, he stressed that casting mythological and faith-related characters requires particular care because millions of people have religious and emotional connections with them.
Speaking to Bollywood Bubble, Mukesh Khanna said filmmakers are increasingly failing to give proper thought to casting major characters. Instead of identifying the actor best suited to a role, producers often sign performers whose previous films have been successful. They believe that bringing a big star on board will help recover the film's production costs.
According to Khanna, producers sign popular actors in the hope of recovering investments of Rs 300 crore, while dreaming of earning Rs 700 crore at the box office. In some cases, agreements with actors are finalised even before filming begins, with producers relying on the money they expect to receive from OTT platforms.
However, when the finished film reaches audiences, it sometimes becomes clear that the actor does not fit the character. Khanna said such performers neither look like the characters they portray nor manage to move beyond their established public image.
Khanna also expressed dissatisfaction with the changing approach to casting in the film industry. He observed that the situation today appears to be one in which actors choose producers rather than producers selecting actors.
He argued that if a star is commercially marketable, filmmakers immediately consider casting that person. Instead, producers should first assess which performer is best suited to the character.
Questioning the different standards applied to actors, Khanna asked why auditions are conducted for smaller performers but not for major stars. He maintained that an actor's popularity should not be more important than the ability to fit convincingly into a particular role.
Citing Shah Rukh Khan as an example, Khanna said the Bollywood superstar could never look like Shaktimaan because he already has a distinct screen image. According to him, filmmakers must consider an actor's established identity while making casting decisions.
He said producers should evaluate whether an actor resembles the character and whether the performer's previous image could interfere with the portrayal of the new role.
Khanna also shared his views on Prabhas, claiming that the actor has been presented incorrectly in several films. He argued that even casting a major star like Prabhas does not guarantee that justice will be done to the character.
Explaining his point, Khanna said that even Prabhas's moustache became an obstacle in portraying a character appropriately. According to him, the actor's established image ended up overshadowing the character.
Khanna concluded by emphasising that filmmakers must exercise the greatest caution when portraying characters from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and history. He said millions of people have deep faith in these figures and stories, making it essential for producers to respect public sentiments rather than focus exclusively on box-office prospects and the popularity of leading stars.
His comments have once again brought the casting of mythological films and the growing reliance on established Bollywood stars into the spotlight. The debate centres on whether a star's commercial popularity is enough to justify casting them in a mythological role or whether physical appearance and personality must take priority when portraying characters connected to people's faith.
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