Pankaj Dheer Aka Karna Takes A Trip Down Memory Lane As Mahabharat Airs On COLORS
News
oi-Lekhaka
By Lekhaka
B.R
Chopra’s
iconic
series,
Mahabharat
is
currently
enjoying
a
second
re-run
on
Colors
TV
amid
COVID-19
lockdown.
Decades
on,
the
cast
of
the
show
is
still
very
well
connected
and
is
happy
to
reminisce
good
old
days.
In
an
interview,
Pankaj
Dheer
who
essayed
the
role
of
Karna
in
the
show
shares
his
fond
memories
of
the
golden
days.
What
is
it
about
Mahabharat
that
makes
it
so
popular
even
today?
This
is
one
of
the
most
beautifully
written
Granth.
There
are
26
relationships
between
people,
and
the
Mahabharata
tackles
all
the
relationships
that
human
beings
know
of.
The
most
beautiful
part
of
it
is
that
this
is
the
only
Granth
that
teaches
you
what
not
to
do.
When
it
comes
to
Mahabharat
the
show,
one
should
keep
in
mind
that
this
was
a
great
combination
which
got
created.
This
was
an
assembly
of
great
minds.
We
had
great
writers
like
Pandit
Narendra
Sharma
collaborating
with
Rahi
Masoom
Reza
backed
by
BR
Chopra
and
Ravi
Chopra.
Also,
the
casting
was
amazing.
It
was
very
peculiar.
You
cannot
think
of
another
Shakuni
or
Bheeshma
or
Krishna
or
Duryodhan.
Even
today
when
you
watch
it
on
COLORS,
all
the
things
that
worked
back
in
the
day,
are
working.
Mahabharat
is
a
show
that
transcends
all.
Your
role
as
Karna
has
been
much
appreciated.
How
did
you
work
on
the
character?
We
did
not
have
any
reference
for
Karna.
There
was
just
one
film
that
was
made
on
Mahabharat
which
was
a
2-hour
film
in
which
a
very
inconsequential
actor
played
Karna.
So,
how
would
Karna
walk,
talk
or
sit
was
something
we
did
not
know?
How
would
he
deal
with
a
situation?
So,
all
these
things
were
discovered
by
me
as
an
actor
using
my
intellect.
Not
to
forget
that
I
had
two
very
dramatic
characters
next
to
me
which
were
Duryodhan
and
Shakuni.
Between
them,
even
if
I
would
be
melodramatic,
it
would
be
odd.
So,
I
had
to
underplay
the
role
of
Karna.
I
played
it
in
a
massive
restraint
which
worked
for
me.
People
loved
me
for
it.
That
created
sympathy.
Also,
there
were
so
many
actors
in
the
cast,
whenever
you
got
a
scene
or
a
moment,
you
had
to
make
it
count.
It
was
a
lot
of
healthy
competition
on
the
set
of
Mahabharat.
Also,
everything
was
against
us.
We
did
not
have
digital
cameras.
There
were
no
special
effects
or
graphics.
There
was
no
modern
equipment.
All
these
things
that
go
to
make
a
show
very
pretty
and
beautiful
and
massive
like
Baahubali.
So,
without
all
that,
with
a
very
normal
video
camera,
we
shot
on
a
trial
and
error
method.
That
speaks
volumes
of
all
that
went
into
making
the
Mahabharat.
What
sort
of
appreciation
have
you
received
for
playing
Karna?
People
have
loved
me
and
adored
me
over
the
years.
It
goes
to
show
that
I
have
merited
it.
Even
in
the
history
books
of
school,
if
they
have
a
reference
to
Karna,
they
have
my
picture
there.
So,
as
long
as
these
books
will
be
printed
in
school,
I
will
always
be
their
reference
as
Karna.
I
also
have
two
temples
where
there
is
Puja
done
every
day.
I
am
worshipped
there
in
Karna
mandir.
I
have
been
to
those
temples.
One
is
in
Karnal
and
one
is
in
Bastar.
There
is
an
eight-feet
tall
statue
of
mine,
and
people
come
there
and
worship
it.
When
I
go
there,
people
love
me
from
the
bottom
of
their
hearts.
This
goes
to
show
that
they
have
accepted
me
as
Karna.
This
becomes
very
difficult
for
others
to
play
that
role
again.
I
have
been
offered
a
lot
of
roles
in
other
versions
of
Mahabharat,
but
I
refused
it.
I
have
played
Karna
and
that
is
it
for
me.
It
is
not
about
money.
I
can
make
money
otherwise.
But
I
don’t
want
to
confuse
my
fans.
It
won’t
be
justice
to
my
fans.
Can
you
recall
any
anecdote
from
Mahabharat?
It’s
interesting
to
know
how
Samay’s
(Harish
Bhimani)
character
was
created.
It
was
Dr.
Rahi
Masoom
Raza
who
took
the
call.
At
first,
everyone
was
considering
a
lot
of
other
actors
as
the
narrator,
but
the
makers
could
not
decide
on
whether
to
have
a
narrator
in
the
physical
form.
That
was
when
Rahi
saab
came
up
with
the
idea
of
Samay,
or
time
itself,
as
the
narrator.
That
became
the
trump
card.
These
were
simple
but
truly
great
ideas.
It
is
like
a
Eureka
moment
of
Archimedes.
It
was
a
simple
idea
that
worked.
It
was
a
brilliant
move
to
have
an
interesting
voice
play
the
role
of
time.
Catch
Mahabharat
Monday
to
Sunday
7
pm
only
on
COLORS