Mukesh praises Ranveer: 'I denied him Shaktimaan, but...'

Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has lavished praise on Ranveer Singh’s box office blockbuster ‘Dhurandhar’, calling it a “perfect film” and hailing the performances of the actors, director Aditya Dhar and the entire film crew. In a YouTube video, Khanna offered an unfiltered review of the spy action thriller which has taken the Indian box office by storm, raking in over Rs 500 crore net at the box office. The film which stars Ranveer Singh in the lead alongside

Akshaye Khanna

, Arjun Rampal,

Sanjay Dutt

and Sara Arun has been winning praise from the industry and now has even impressed the veteran actor-producer, enough to describe ‘Dhurandhar’ as the, "Perfect film, commercial film and one that will hit the masses.

Every department did their best, whether it was acting, directing, action, direction or writing. Everyone has given their best, so that you can call the film ‘Dhurandhar’ in every way."Khanna reserved special praise for Akshaye, whose performance has been widely lauded by audiences and critics alike. “You all know that the one actor who is being praised for his performance is Akshaye Khanna. He stars in very few films.

He used to be a hero some time back. Some films worked while others didn’t, but he left his mark in each of them. In this film, he didn’t just leave his mark, he ate all the competition,” he remarked.Drawing a comparison with the Bollywood classic ‘Sholay’, Khanna pointed out how villains can sometimes overshadow heroes. “There are very few films where the villain is praised more than the hero,” he said, adding that even decades later, Gabbar Singh’s dialogue “Kitne aadmi the” remains popular.Reflecting on his own career, Khanna stressed the importance of strong writing. "I would never have become Shaktimaan if the writers and director did not give me such a vision or script," he stated.Addressing the controversy he kicked up over Ranveer Singh’s casting in the proposed ‘Shaktimaan’ reboot, Khanna clarified his stance while praising the actor’s work in ‘Dhurandhar’. “Yes, I would like to praise this film’s hero, ‘Dhurandhar’, Ranveer Singh.

You will say, ‘You didn’t let him play Shaktimaan’. I may have denied him the role of Shaktimaan, but he is a good actor. I always say this,” he said.Khanna also went on to commend Singh’s screen presence noting, “He has great energy in this film, and his eyes are brooding because this man has come from India and has been planted in Pakistan. How he enters this world and becomes a gang member.”He also defended Singh against criticism, suggesting that Akshaye's viral dance moment overshadowed the lead actor.

Emphasising the film’s arc, Khanna said, “The role of Dhurandhar that he was given had to see him grow little by little. I’m sure in the sequel, they will highlight his entire story.”‘Dhurandhar’ continues its dominant run at the box office, with the film reportedly set to cross the Rs 1,000 mark worldwide. Meanwhile, Mukesh Khanna dropped a video on his YouTube channel last year, sharing that he will be back as 'Shaktimaan', India’s OG superhero. Wearing his costume, he said, "I think personally too, in my mind, this costume has come from within me. I did well in Shatimaan because it came from within me. Acting is all about confidence. I forget about the camera when I am shooting. I am even happier than the others about becoming Shaktimaan again.

I am carrying out my duty that I started in 1997 and which went on till 2005. I think that my work should reach the public in 2027 because today's generation is running blindly. They have to be stopped and told to catch their breath."