Creative clashes, especially between Mukesh Khanna and the team, have delayed the Shaktimaan film. Despite casting rumours, director Basil Joseph insists Ranveer Singh remains the chosen lead.
Last Updated: 09.41 PM, Jun 22, 2025
Not due to a lack of interest from viewers, but rather due to disagreements amongst those involved in the production, most notably between Mukesh Khanna, the creator and star of the original series, and the people who could be cast in the film, the long-awaited reboot of the legendary superhero series Shaktimaan is still in the works.
Many people in the millennial and early Gen Z generations find Shaktimaan nostalgic. The news of the series' upcoming cinematic adaptation undoubtedly ignited a passion among many fans. The speculation that Malayalam filmmaker-actor Basil Joseph was involved and that Ranveer Singh was being considered as the lead superhero helped the film gather momentum.
But Mukesh Khanna has often said in interviews that Singh doesn't have the right face and personality to play Shaktimaan; therefore, the idea of Singh playing the role has never been really considered. According to what Khanna told Bollywood Thikana in September of last year, "Ranveer sat in front of me that day for three hours but ultimately I had to tell him that what needed to be seen on his face wasn’t there. He looks playful, like someone who would trick others."
Additionally, Khanna made it clear that the meeting was amicable and entirely voluntary. The veteran actor said, "No. I didn’t force him to wait. He sat for three hours because he wanted to. He came to my office; we enjoyed each other’s company. He’s a terrific actor; he has terrific energy. But I decide who plays Shaktimaan. Producers cast actors; an actor can’t cast a producer. You come to my office and say that you want to be Shaktimaan; it’s not allowed!"
In the middle of all this talk, rumours started circulating that Allu Arjun had stepped in for Singh. Since Khanna had previously admitted, "I think I have to watch more Allu Arjun films. Also, let me go out on a limb and say that he has it in him to be Shaktimaan. I am not saying he is doing it or anything. I’m just suggesting that it would look good on him. He has the personality to pull it off."
However, Joseph has flatly dismissed the speculation about a successor. "Shaktimaan will be made only with Ranveer Singh," he told veteran film journalist Subhash K. Jha. Additionally, "No one else is doing Shaktimaan," said an insider linked to the production, adding, "It is Ranveer Singh and no one else. Whoever is spreading rumours of his replacement clearly has their own agenda."
The filmmaker-actor's unwavering support for Singh has left Khanna's reaction to be unpredictable. Khanna's frequent objections, despite his claims of having no personal bias against the actor, have further muddied the public narrative around the project.