Mukesh Khanna admits feeling intimidated by Kalki 2898 AD’s grandeur: ‘Shaktimaan will be bigger and better than Kalki’ | Hindi Movie News

Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna recently watched the Nag Ashwin directorial ‘Kalki 2898 AD‘ and was left in awe by the film’s grandeur. The post-apocalyptic movie, inspired by Hindu scriptures and set in the year 2898 AD, stars Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Kamal Haasan in lead roles. While Khanna openly admitted feeling intimidated by the scale of ‘Kalki,’ he remains determined that his upcoming superhero film Shaktimaan will surpass its success.
When asked about the expectations surrounding Shaktimaan, Mukesh responded, “To be honest, I felt a bit intimidated when I saw the scale of the project. I am not someone who can confidently say, ‘I can do it too.’ I wondered if I could handle something of this magnitude. Such projects require immense effort and a dedicated team. The teams behind films like Avatar and Baahubali consisted of thousands of hardworking individuals. Each aspect, from storyboarding to scoring, requires meticulous attention.”
He continued, “I wish I could bring the same level of dedication and resources to Shaktimaan. What Sony and I will create together remains to be seen. However, I am Shaktimaan; I have embodied this character for 40 years. How can they make it without my involvement? I have transformed Shaktimaan into a disco drama. How can I approach this differently?”

In an Instagram post, Mukesh Khanna wrote, “Will ‘SHAKTIMAAN’ be better than ‘KALKI’? It can be and it will be. They had the South Indian film industry behind them. We have SONY International behind us. Kalki is the story of tomorrow. Shaktimaan is the story of today and forever. The present is more powerful than the future because it is in our hands.”

Previously, the veteran actor criticized the makers of Kalki 2898 AD for distorting the facts of the Mahabharat for convenience in a well-made and grand film. He pointed out that Arjun and Bhim had removed the gem from Ashwatthama’s forehead and given it to Draupadi, whose five sons Ashwatthama had killed by sneaking into their tent in the dark of night. “So how did the gem end up back with Ashwatthama?” he questioned.

Kalki 2898 AD has been a massive success, grossing over Rs 600 crore globally within its first week. Mounted on a big budget of Rs 600-700 crore, the film continues to attract audiences worldwide.