BR Chopra’s Mahabharata is considered one of the most popular and well-made shows in the history of Indian cinema. The show had some of the most popular characters, who have cemented their place in the hearts of millions of people. From Arjuna, Krishna, the Pandavas, and Draupadi to the Kauravas, Duryodhan, and Bhishma Pitamaha, everyone gained massive recognition from the show. However, it has come to light that Mukesh Khanna, who played the iconic character of Bhishma Pitamaha in the serial, was not the first choice for the character.
In an interview, Punnet Issar and Mukesh Khanna revealed that the role of Bhishma Pitamaha was first offered to Vijayendra Ghatge, but he refused it at that time because he didn’t want to wear the white moustache and beard. They added that he wasn’t comfortable playing the character of this age and hence refused the offer.
Later, the role went to Mukesh Khanna, who immortalised the character and received a lot of love for playing Bhishma Pitamaha. Reportedly, he also got a chance to act in Ramanand Sagar’s hit show, Vikram Aur Betaal. He played the iconic character Gunkar in the show.
Since then, Vijayendra Ghatge has mostly been offered as a side character in the industry. He made his acting debut in 1976 with Rajshree Productions’ film Chitchor. After doing various roles in films, he started doing TV serials in 1986. He played an important character in Ramesh Sippy’s hit TV serial, Buniyaad. He received a lot of admiration from the audience for his character, and he had become a household name. Only after the success of Buniyaad did he get the offer of the Mahabharata.
Vijayendra Ghatge had been a part of various films like Prem Rog, Kasme Vaade, Tere Mere Pyaar Mein, and Devdas. In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s hit film, he played the character of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s husband. But he was unable to cement his place as a lead actor in the industry and was just offered side roles.
Now he has stopped working in films and was last seen in the film Aazaan in 2011.
Comments
0 comment