Mukesh Khanna Urges Formation of Dedicated Panel to Review Films on Historical and Mythological Themes

Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has advocated setting up a specialised commission to examine films based on historical and mythological subjects, expressing concerns that the existing film certification system may not be sufficient to oversee the portrayal of religious figures and culturally significant narratives on screen.

Khanna shared his views while criticising the cinematic representation of the epic in Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming film 'Ramayana'. He questioned whether the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has the necessary authority and expertise to address concerns surrounding films that draw inspiration from religious and historical accounts. Khanna suggested that a separate panel comprising historians, religious scholars and subject experts should be established to examine scripts and creative decisions before filmmakers move ahead with such projects.

"I believe the Censor Board is not responsible enough to stop such films. A dedicated commission should be established. Anyone wishing to make a film based on historical or mythological subjects, whether it concerns the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, or even a figure like Lord Ganesha, must be required to have their project reviewed and approved by a committee of scholars," he said.

The actor also raised concerns about filmmakers exercising excessive creative freedom when portraying characters held sacred by millions of people. He maintained that religious sentiments should be treated with respect and that cinematic interpretations must avoid representations that could offend devotees. "If such a committee exists, there would be no need for me to speak out, as they would ensure that inappropriate scenes, such as depicting Goddess Sita engaged in a fight, are never included. Matters of religion and faith are at stake here; one cannot simply toy with someone's religion," Khanna added.

Commenting further on the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer, Khanna emphasised that the Ramayana carries immense religious and cultural significance and should not be treated like an ordinary fictional narrative that can be freely altered to suit filmmaking requirements. He also referred to remarks by a prominent Bollywood actor who reportedly described the project as something Indian cinema had not witnessed in the past 100 years. However, Khanna said commercial success and box-office collections should not be the primary benchmarks for judging a film based on such an important epic.

According to him, the real question is whether the filmmakers have remained faithful to the original narrative or introduced changes that distort its fundamental message. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Ramayana: Part 1' is the first chapter of a planned two-part adaptation of the ancient Indian epic. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.