Mukesh Khanna Shares Why He Rejected A Hollywood Offer: 'Tell Me Which Actor Would Let It Go?'
Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, renowned for his role as Bhishma Pitamah in Mahabharat, recently revealed why he turned down a Hollywood film offer after the show's success.
Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, best known for his iconic role as Bhishma Pitamah in the TV series Mahabharat, recently shared an intriguing story about turning down a Hollywood film offer. The film, titled Masala, was being cast by renowned actor and casting director Madhur Jaffrey, who was briefly married to Saeed Jaffrey in the 1960s.
“Once, a Hollywood film had come to me, it was called Krishna," Khanna recalled in an interview with Hindi Rush. “We have a very famous casting director Madhur Jaffrey. She casts actors here for Hollywood films. Saeed Jaffrey’s wife. I got a call saying, ‘Mukesh we are making Krishna, can you send me your profile?’ I said very good but what am I doing in the film Madhur ji? I thought it must be something to do with Mahabharat as the film was called Krishna."
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Khanna, however, insisted on seeing the script before proceeding, a request that did not sit well with Madhur Jaffrey. “She said, ‘no, no you just send me your profile.’ We were talking over the phone. I asked for the story, she got fed up, maybe… Then Saeed Jaffrey came on the call and said, ‘She is not asking for earth, she is just asking for your photo and profile.’ I am stubborn, I told Saeed bhai, ‘I am also not asking for earth I am asking for the script.’"
This persistence led to Khanna losing the opportunity, as he explained, “So he said that he was in talks with Shashi Kapoor ji and then he would send me the script… Tell me which actor, in today’s time, would treat a Hollywood offer like this? And let it go?" Ironically, the role eventually went to Saeed Jaffrey himself after the film did not materialize with Shashi Kapoor. “He got the title of ‘Sir’, today he is called Sir Saeed Jaffrey because of that film," Khanna noted.
The film, Masala, was a Canadian project where Saeed Jaffrey played a triple role, with veteran actress Zohra Sehgal also featuring in the cast.
Mukesh Khanna, who achieved immense popularity post-Mahabharat, went on to portray India’s first television superhero, Shaktimaan, in the Doordarshan series, further solidifying his place as a household name.
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