Mukesh Khanna recalled facing criticism for playing father to Feroz Khan, who was a decade older than him, in Yalgaar.
Feroz Khan’s action crime thriller, Yalgaar (1992) had received mixed reviews upon its release, and did average business at the box office. While the film received a lukewarm response, one of the songs, ‘Ho Jaata Hai Kaise Pyaar’ became a superhit. Also, Feroz Khan faced criticism for casting Mukesh Khanna in the role of his father. The ‘Shaktimaan’ actor was ten years younger than him.
In his latest chat with Bollywood Thikana, Mukesh Khanna recalled how he was mocked by the industry after he took up this role.
He shared, “There was a scene between Feroz and me on the breakfast table, where he called me dad in between the conversation. Industry people had made it a laughing point.”
Khanna also admitted that his equation with the ‘Qurbaani’ actor got affected after the latter snubbed him at the premiere of Yalgaar.
“After that incident, I was avoiding him throughout. But, we happened to meet at Sanjay Khan’s daughter’s wedding. At the wedding, I think he noticed that I was ignoring him, so he came to me and greeted me. At that point, I revealed to him that I was upset with him after what he did at Yalgaar’s premiere. He told me, ‘Mukesh, I was tensed about something and it skipped my mind,” he told the portal.
Mukesh said that when he wasn’t convinced with Feroz’s explanation, he ended up confessing how people didn’t accept him in his father’s role. In response, the ‘Dharmatma’ star told him, “Mukesh, I took you for your Pitamah image.” Hearing this, he became quiet.
Further, Khanna also shared with the portal that he had initially rejected Yalgaar.
He revealed, “An assistant came at my house near Marine Drive and claimed, ‘I have come from Feroz Khan’s team’. I greeted him, we had a conversation over chai. He narrated me the story and said, ‘You will be the commissioner, you are dealing with a don played by Kabir Bedi and Feroz Khan will play an inspector, who is also your son.’ This whole time, I didn’t have objection that how can I play father to Feroz Khan. I just had in mind, I don’t want to do this film.”
Yalgaar featured Feroz Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala, Vicky Arora, Kabir Bedi and Mukesh Khanna. The film revolves around two childhood friends who turn into foes when one of them ends up in opposite side of the law.
