The legendary Amitabh Bachchan and the iconic Mukesh Khanna have sparked a controversy that has taken the internet by storm. In a recent revelation, Mukesh Khanna, best known for his portrayal of Shaktimaan, opened up about how comparisons to Amitabh Bachchan affected his early career and he did not shy away from sharing his thoughts on the matter.
Mukesh Khanna, reflecting on the early years of his career, expressed his frustration at being compared to Amitabh Bachchan.
In an interview, he recalled how the media once labeled Mithun Chakraborty as “Gareebo ka Amitabh Bachchan” (Poor man’s Amitabh Bachchan) and how that remark didn’t sit well with him. Khanna stated, “I don’t know how Mithun ji reacted, but if I was told that, I would’ve said, ‘Shut up.’ They would say, ‘You look like Amit ji, you copy him.’”
Khanna further revealed that his initial films did not perform well at the box office, which led people to accuse him of imitating Bachchan’s style. “A string of my films flopped, which is why people said that. Here, only success speaks the loudest,” he explained. However, he clarified that once he gained recognition through the television epic Mahabharat, those comparisons faded.
Amitabh Bachchan accuses Mukesh Khanna of copying him
The actor also disclosed that Amitabh Bachchan himself had once accused him of copying his mannerisms. Khanna explained, “People would say, ‘You weren’t successful because you look like him, and now that Amitabh Bachchan himself said that you copy him, your career is over.’” According to Khanna, these remarks further fueled the narrative that he was nothing more than an imitation of the superstar.
Mukesh Khanna did not hold back when addressing Bachchan’s accusations. He questioned the superstar’s authority in influencing his career, saying, “He did say that, but will I be a flop because of that? Amit ji kaun hai jo mere career ko rok sakte hai?” (Who is Amit ji to stop my career?)
Khanna recalled an incident shared by a friend, who was at a drive-in theater with Amitabh Bachchan. The friend claimed that when Khanna’s advertisement played on the screen, Bachchan allegedly remarked, “Saala copy karta hai” (He copies me). This statement, according to Khanna, was later picked up by YouTubers who sensationalized it as the line that supposedly ruined his career.