Mukesh Khanna Cites Dhurandhar's Akshaye Khanna To Question Praise For Yash's Ravana In Ramayana

Actor Mukesh Khanna, best known for playing Bhishma Pitamah in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, shared his views on Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana in his vlog. The actor appeared to take a dig at the makers over Yash's portrayal of Ravana in the film. To note, Mukesh Khanna is yet to watch the film.

He said, "Objection mera hai ki jahan tak main dekh raha hun, jahan tak tarif bhi ho rahi hai, aapko pata hai Yash ji ki, Yash jo superstar hai apne South ke, unki tarif Rama yani Ranbir Kapoor se jyada ho rahi hai. Har, aaj se nahi, chheh mahine se beech-beech me ye sughbugahat di ja rahi hai ki Yash ne kamal kar diya, Yash ne kamal kar diya."

(Translation: "My objection is that, from what I can see and from all the appreciation being expressed, Yash ji, who is a superstar in the South, is receiving more praise than Rama, that is, Ranbir Kapoor. Not just today, but for the past six months, there have been repeated suggestions that Yash has done something extraordinary.")

He continued, "Sab, kamal actor tabhi karta hai jab aap unko kamal karne ke liye aap usko script dete ho. Agar maine Pitamah ke role me kamal kiya hai, toh mere ko Dr. Rai sahab ki script chandi ki thali me mili. Agar Akshay Khanna, agar Dhurandhar me hero na hote hue bhi kamal kar jata hai, toh wo director aur writer ne unko chandi ki thali me wo scene, wo build-up diya. Toh saab, agar Yash ne itna kamal kiya hai toh uske piche script hai, aur wo script me jo dikhta hai, wo ye hai ki Ravana ka mahimamandan kiya gaya hai."

(Translation: "An actor can only perform extraordinarily when he is given a script that allows him to do so. If I excelled as Bhishma Pitamah, it was because Dr Rai's script was handed to me on a silver platter. If Akshaye Khanna shines in Dhurandhar despite not being the hero, it is because the director and writer gave him those scenes and that build-up. So, if Yash has done such a remarkable job, there is a script behind it. And what I see in that script is the glorification of Ravana.")

Khanna further said, "Again, listen! Ravana ka mahimamandan, Rama ke upar Ravana ko dikhane ki koshish ki gayi hai. Narrative again, kiska narrative? Agar main aapko andar ki baat bataun, toh main bhi bachpan se sunta aa raha hun ki hamare yahan par jo hum Ravana ka putla jalate hain har Dashare par."

(Translation: "Listen again! Ravana has been glorified. An attempt has been made to place Ravana above Rama. A narrative, but whose narrative? Since childhood, I have heard that we burn effigies of Ravana every Dussehra.")

He added, "Kisi ne mujhe kaha tha, aapko pata hai sir, South me kai jagah pe Rama ke putle jalaye jate hain, Ravana ki jagah? Main hairan reh gaya tha. Hamare desh me Ramayan ke do version! Saab, yahan wahi mansha, wahi narrative aa rahi hai ki Ravana ko itna mahimamandan kiya gaya, Ravana ko itna bada, larger than life, toh the wo pandit, the hamare yahan."

(Translation: "Someone once told me that in some places in the South, effigies of Rama are burnt instead of Ravana. I was shocked. Two versions of the Ramayana in our country! Here too, I see the same intention, the same narrative, where Ravana is being glorified and presented as larger than life. Yes, he was a scholar, that is acknowledged in our tradition.")

He went on to explain, "Ramayan me Shri Rama ne bhi tarif ki thi jab wo gir gaye the, toh Lakshman ko kaha gaya tha ki bahut bade pandit hai, jaise inse sikh lo aur jakar unse hath jodhkar sikh lo. Itna tak maine bhi suna tha. Aur Ravana ne mujhe malum hai Shiv Tandav Stotra bhi gaya tha jisko maine bhi gaya hai 'Jata kata has brahmo...'. wo bhi hai. Unhone Ravana bahut bade bhakt hai, Shiv ji se ashirwad bhi lekar aaye hain."

(Translation: "Even in the Ramayana, Lord Rama praised Ravana after he fell and told Lakshman that Ravana was a great scholar and that he should learn from him. I have heard this too. I also know that Ravana recited the Shiv Tandav Stotra, which I have also sung. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and had received his blessings.")

However, Khanna stressed that these qualities should not overshadow the central character of the epic.

"Ye sab hone ke baad me, Ravana, Rama ke upar as an actor chodiye, as a character, aapko banane ka haq koi nahi de sakta hamare Bharatvarsh ki Ramayan me. Aap bolo ki aap ek fictitious kahani la rahe ho, aap kuch bhi kariye, humko koi aitraaz nahi. Par Ramayan, Mahabharat, don't ever dare to change or put your own scenes, remove some scenes."

(Translation: "Even after all this, nobody has the right in India's Ramayana to place Ravana above Rama, not just as an actor but as a character. If you say you are presenting a fictional story, do whatever you want, and I would have no objection. But when it comes to Ramayana and Mahabharata, don't ever dare to change them, add your own scenes, or remove existing ones.")

Concluding his remarks, he said, "Yahan par mujhe jahan tak bataya gaya hai ki Yash ne isliye acha kaam kiya hai kyunki usko acha role diya gaya hai, usko puri ki puri built-up se lekar end tak usko."

(Translation: "From what I have been told, Yash has performed well because he was given a strong role with a complete character build-up from beginning to end.")

Ramayana was released in theatres on November 5.