Mukesh Khanna has responded to Samay Raina’s ‘Shaktimaan’ joke, defending the legacy of the show and asserting that no child died due to it. He also criticised creators for “corrupting the youth” and chasing TRPs. Once more, Khanna targeted Raina after the comedian took a swipe at him in his stand-up special Still Alive. During his set, Raina mocked Khanna for weighing in on India’s Got Latent controversy.
Mukesh Khanna SLAMS Samay Raina For Dragging Shaktimaan Into IGL Controversy
In a recent interview with Zoom, Khanna reiterated his concerns in regards to the type of content being consumed by young audiences, questioning each creators and viewers. “I imagine we influence the youngsters and youth of this country. I had rejected even The Kapil Sharma Show—I didn’t go there despite being invited. As an alternative, I did my very own show, The Mukesh Khanna Show. I actually have all the time said interviews may be conducted with dignity; there isn’t a must go below the belt. Crores of TRP is just not the standards—if something is just not good, have the courage to say it,” he said.
He criticised the recognition of such content. Mukesh added, “Simply because persons are desperate to watch something, and crowds gather for it, doesn’t make it right. It’s best to query the audience too—why are they watching such things?”
Mukesh Calls Trend Business Drama
Khanna called this trend “industrial drama,” accusing creators of putting profit above responsibility. “It is a industrial drama. If it gets such high viewership, you might be blissful since it’s earning money. But for that cash, you might be corrupting the youth brigade. You don’t have a conscience. You weren’t taught values—that you simply shouldn’t use such filthy language about parents,” he stated.
Referring to the controversial remarks made on the show, he further said, “You might be even defending him (Ranveer Allahbadia), saying he meditates and has come in your channel. You’re taking ownership of such things being said in your platform. You should not even ashamed of what was said. Everyone was laughing—even a lady sitting there. I used to be shocked. Is that this the longer term of our country?”
The veteran actor also warned against confusing popularity with quality. “Don’t be happy with your TRP. Don’t think that simply because so many persons are watching, it is nice,” he cautioned.
Mukesh Khanna Compares SRK’s Baazigar
Drawing a comparison with movies, Khanna referenced Shah Rukh Khan’s Baazigar. “In that film, Shah Rukh Khan throws his fiancée off a balcony. I had said even then, if Shah Rukh does it, people might follow it. If Gulshan Grover does it, it won’t have the identical impact. When a star does something, it influences people.”
Khanna also rejected the justification that such content is “merely entertainment.” “Saying ‘we are only entertaining’ is running away out of your responsibility. There are individuals who emulate you,” he said. He also criticised Raina for targeting his iconic superhero character Shaktimaan. “This Mr Raina, who takes ownership of such content and criticises others, has also criticised a personality like Shaktimaan. He has no right to do this.”
Mukesh Khanna Defended Shaktimaan Legacy
On the Shaktimaan controversy, Khanna defended the show’s legacy. “He doesn’t even know that no children died due to show. Some people had tried to create such narratives, but I explained it then. We even won court cases—reports from places like Begusarai and Pune were proven mistaken. Those incidents happened for other reasons but were linked to Shaktimaan,” he explained.
He added, “Shaktimaan ran successfully for seven years—that itself proves its goodness, popularity, and innocence. Why spread such stories simply to make your point? Children grew up with Shaktimaan—they lived with it. But in the event that they grow up with this sort of content, the generation will go astray.”
What Did Samay Say?
During his stand-up special, Samay addressed the backlash he faced, saying people quickly jumped to criticize him in the course of the controversy. He stated, “Shaktiman aa gaya tha yaar. Shaktiman se kaise ladenge? Sorry, Shaktimaan! Tune bachhe maare hain fak-fak-fak karke, tu kya moral high ground lekar baitha hai? (Shaktimaan also joined in. How will we fight Shaktimaan? Sorry, Shaktimaan! Shaktimaan has killed children ‘fak-fak-fak karke’. How are you taking the moral high ground?)”
The controversy was sparked by an inappropriate query posed by Ranveer to a contestant about his parents, which many viewers found offensive. The segment quickly led to outrage online, with multiple FIRs filed against Samay, Ranveer, and other guests.
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