Mukesh Khanna wants Allu Arjun to play Shaktimaan; criticises Pushpa 2 The Rule: ‘Not committing to anything but…’ | Bollywood

Mukesh Khanna on the next Shaktimaan

Mukesh posted a video on his YouTube discussing why he thinks Arjun could be the next Shaktimaan, though he claims to have left the final decision to the producers. He said, “I am not committing to anything, but I think he (Arjun) can be Shaktimaan. He has good looks and height, but they (Pushpa makers) have turned him into a villain. But he would suit the role of Shaktimaan.”

He also discussed why Pushpa 2: The Rule resonated with the audience, “It won’t be achieved by just throwing around money, you can see how hard they worked to make it. I will only praise Pushpa 2 from the first frame; every frame speaks of how they did well. When you have conviction in yourself, you convince the audience itself. Forget the logic, it’s mindblowing.”

However, he also criticised the filmmakers for glamorising red sanders smuggling, stating, “They have glamorised smuggling sandalwood. What is the message you want to give? Do you want to show people they can smuggle and even beat the police? I want to tell filmmakers from the south not to make such films just to score a hit.”

Mukesh’s criticism of Bollywood

In the video, Mukesh also highlighted the contrast between South Indian and Bollywood filmmaking. He said, “I urge Bollywood to learn from the South. Now you’ll say they have more money than us, but that’s not true. In the south, the hero doesn’t pocket all the budget for the film, they plan it well. But here, ₹60 crore of a ₹150 crore film is handed to the hero. And bigger heroes take more than that. When your film doesn’t run, you need to reduce remuneration. Even after three flops, heroes here take ₹90 crore. But if you give ₹60 crore to the hero, give ₹30 crore to the writer.”

Pushpa 2: The Rule released in theatres on December 5, with paid premieres on December 4. It crossed the ₹1000 crore gross mark worldwide within a week of release.