Mukesh Khanna criticizes Ekta Kapoor’s adaptation of ‘Mahabharat’: ‘She gave Draupadi a tattoo and portrayed the pandavas as models’ | Hindi Movie News Filmymeet

Mukesh Khanna is celebrated for his portrayal of Bhishma in BR Chopra’s ‘Mahabharat‘ and as the titular superhero in his own creation, ‘Shaktimaan’. His performances in these series have left an enduring impact, with ‘Mahabharat’ remaining a benchmark adaptation of the ancient Hindu epic even after more than three decades. This epic has inspired numerous adaptations, including the 2008 TV series ‘Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki’, produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Telefilms.Despite the many retellings of the ‘Mahabharata’, Chopra’s version continues to be the gold standard against which all others are measured.
Mukesh recently criticized ‘Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki’ for presenting the characters as “models.” In a chat with Bollywood Bubble, the actor addressed the challenges of adapting the Mahabharata into a movie. He acknowledged that while everyone has the right to attempt such a project, past efforts, including those by major production houses like Star, have failed to match the original due to the absence of key contributors like screenwriter Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza and writer Pandit Narendra Sharma. He criticized these adaptations for their lack of dedication and for altering traditional elements, citing examples like Ekta Kapoor’s portrayal of Draupadi with a tattoo and the Pandavas as bare-chested models. “Ekta Kapoor gave Draupadi a tattoo, and the Pandavas were shown as models with bare chests,” he added.

The series featured a star-studded cast including Mrunal Jain as Krishna, Hiten Tejwani as Karna, Ronit Roy as Bhishma, Anita Hassanandani as Draupadi, Uma Shanker as Yudhishthir, and Aryan Vaid as Duryodhan.

Khanna further highlighted the memorable performances of the actors in the original ‘Mahabharata’ series, mentioning that actors including Praveen Kumar, Feroz Khan, Pankaj Dheer, and Gajendra Chauhan’s portrayals left a lasting impression on audiences. He contrasted this with a more recent adaptation, expressing disappointment that the Pandavas lacked distinct identities and criticizing the lack of attention to costumes, suggesting that the actors appeared more like modern-day models than their mythological characters.

He criticized modern adaptations, pointing out that simply making characters like Arjun, Karna, and Bhim taller isn’t enough to capture the essence of the original. He lamented the commercialization of today’s productions, which rely more on gimmicks and elaborate sets rather than the deep storytelling and dedication that characterized the original series by Chopra. He noted that despite attempts to recreate *Mahabharata*, none succeeded, and some even admitted to copying the original because they lacked better options.