B R Chopra’s Mahabharat was one of the first TV shows that the audience waited for with bated breath. The historical saga portrayed the epic and roped in many known actors to play some famous characters. From Pankaj Dheer, Roopa Ganguly, Dara Singh, Nitish Bharadwaj, Gufi Paintal, Puneet Issar and Mukesh Khanna, you name the biggest names of the time and they were there.
Shikhandi is one of the most important characters, who helps defeat the Kauravas. Shikhandi was Amba in the previous life and was wronged by Bhishma Pitamah. She vowed to be the cause of his death and got the chance in her next life. However, translating a complex character like Shikhandi on a small screen was no easy task, and BR Chopra, along with Paintal, nailed it. The audience was impressed by his acting chops.
The character was essayed by Kanwarjit Paintal also known as Paintal. He is an actor and a comedian. However, not many are aware that Shikhandi and Shakuni Mama were brothers in real life. As per reports, Kanwarjit Paintal got the role of Shikhandi in the epic saga because of his brother Gufi Paintal, who played the role of the scheming and cunning Shakuni Mama. Gufi was also the casting director for the project.
Reportedly, Kanwarjit Paintal had a good bond with BR Chopra’s son, Ravi Chopra, who wanted to cast him for the role of Sudama. However, after realising that the role was not meaty enough, he was roped in for the role of Shikhandi in Mahabharat.
If reports are to be believed, to essay the role of Shikhandi effortlessly on the screen, Paintal started to consider himself as Shikhandi. His impeccable acting left a lasting impression in the minds of the Indian public.
BR Chopra’s Mahabharat was released in 1988 on October 2 on DD National and had a total of 94 episodes. The show ended on June 24 1990.
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