'Pushpa makers made Allu Arjun a villain': Mukesh Khanna says actor should play Shaktimaan

After watching Pushpa 2: The Rule, Mukesh Khanna said that Allu Arjun would be a great choice to play Shaktimaan. While he said he's not making any promises, Mukesh mentioned in a recent video that Arjun could be the right fit for the superhero role.

Mukesh Khanna shared a video on his YouTube, explaining why he believes Allu Arjun would be a great choice to play the next Shaktimaan. However, he also made it clear that the final decision is up to the producers.

He stated, "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 talked about why Pushpa 2: The Rule connected so well with the audience and mentioned, "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 romanticizing red sanders smuggling, saying, "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."

In the video, Mukesh also pointed out the differences between South Indian cinema and Bollywood filmmaking. He stated, "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 was released in theaters on December 5, with paid previews on December 4. Within just a week of its release, the film grossed over Rs 1000 crore worldwide.