Mukesh Khanna’s Birthday: Celebrating the Icon of Indian Television

Mukesh Khanna Birthday: Celebrating Shaktimaan Star’s Iconic Legacy and Journey

The name Mukesh Khanna will always be associated with some of the most popular characters in the history of Indian television, and he is celebrating his 67 th birthday on June 23 , 2025. Though his career in films has been prolific, it is his massive appearance on the small screen that has ensured that he will always be enshrined in the hearts and minds of generations of Indians, especially due to his depiction of Bhishma Pitamah in B.R. Chopra Mahabharat and as the eponymous superhero in Shaktimaan.

Mukesh Khanna was born in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1958 and his entry into the world of acting started after he passed out of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. His career began with some movie roles, however it was the television that made him widely recognized. It was the golden period of Indian television in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, and Khanna was leading this revolution.

His depiction of Bhishma Pitamah in the 1988 epic serial Mahabharat was simply epic. Khanna, with his huge body build, deep voice, and noble mien, made the complicated and influential figure of the Kuru patriarch truly come to life. His acting was more than acting; he personified the wisdom, sacrifice and unfaltering devotion to dharma that Bhishma was. To most people, he was Bhishma and till this day, decades after, his image is the supreme one etched in the cultural memory of India. The effect of this position alone would have been sufficient to ensure his position in history, but Khanna was not finished yet.

In 1997, Mukesh Khanna once again wore another memorable cape, literally, as Shaktimaan, the first native superhero of India. It aired on Doordarshan and soon became a phenomenon.

Shaktimaan, who could be “morally strong” while being incredibly powerful, imparted any number of important life lessons towards children, with a message of being moral, brave and good triumphing evil. Along with playing the protagonist, Khanna also produced and directed a number of episodes, and put all of his heart and soul into capturing a character that was inspirational to millions of children.
Shaktimaan, was much more than a superhero, he was a heroic icon of culture, and Shaktimaan was woven into the fabric of the growing up experience of all children in India of the late nineties and early sections of the twenty-first century.

Apart from these two monumental roles, Mukesh Khanna has had a long reputation, or ever-presence, on television or films. He has appeared in numerous other TV serials, often as powerful, or authoritative or righteous character. Films wise, he has had many supporting roles in successful films. Khanna’s versatility extends into being an active children’s rights activist and he has quite often spoken of the specifications of moral values in a similar way he spoke about the commitments of character in Shaktimaan.

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In recent times, Mukesh Khanna has engaged in social media via a youtube channel titled “Mukesh Khanna Official”, where he shares his views with his followers on many social and cultural issues, often referring to the culture of the characters he has portrayed.

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