All the discussions about old Mahabharata here only[DT NOTE - page 98] - Page 78

They are such fond childhood memories!😊 I wish those shows were shown on TV again or put online. Sony has put its old shows online. I wish DD does too. But they seem to be kanjoos!

Chandrakanta had a really talented cast but a weird, meandering story. I do not remember how it ended. But love it for characters. Mukesh Khanna was brilliant and his scenes with Shahbaz Khan were treat to watch as both men had amazing baritone and dialogue delivery. Both men with their voices and physique used to look like real royalty. Shikha Swarup was divinely beautiful as Chandrakanta! (I still feel she's the most beautiful actress and character on Indian TV ever. Ethereal!)

Incidentally I remember Pankaj Dheer most as Shiv Dutt from Chandrakanta than Karna in MB. It was one crazy, flamboyant character!😆

Earlier voice and height was a major criteria in choosing actors for royal and historical characters. Nowadays voice and dialogue delivery are totally ignored.

That cap is from a snake film called Nache Naagin something! I saw Mukesh Khanna in some early 80s film on Zee classic some months ago. He looked so young and the character was very jovial unlike serious ones he usually plays. It was surprising to see him laugh, flirt and do usual song and dance with heroine.

I think MB did slot all actors in mature and period roles. Mukesh Khanna later started getting only dad or uncle or bade bhaiya roles. He was skeptical of taking up Bhishma's role precisely for fear of getting slotted as an older guy. I remember we kids accepted him in Shaktimaan readily whereas elders used to call him "buddah" and wonder why he was playing superhero at "this age".

I even got glimpse of Pankaj Dheer doing comedy and playing a good for nothing, lazy son in some film shown on Star Gold.😆 I could not believe it at all that this was him! I do not remember that film, it had poor production values and mostly less known actors so I did not watch it. But sight of Pankaj Dheer in a comical role is still there in my mind.

This show has been counter productive in some ways for actors. They got great work on TV but not in films. And they got slotted in older/period roles. Yet on other hand they attained immortality and iconic status.