Veteran actor, Pankaj Dheer once essayed the role of ‘Karna’ in BR Chopra’s television series, Mahabharat. His impeccable portrayal inked his name in the history of the TV industry and in the hearts of his fans. However, did you know that BR Chopra had once kicked Pankaj out over a ‘moustache stupidity’?
Pankaj Dheer recalls being kicked out of Mahabharat
In a conversation with Lehren Retro, Pankaj Dheer recalled how once BR Chopra asked him to ‘get out’ of his office after he refused to shave off his moustache to play the role of ‘Arjuna’ in the show. Pankaj revealed that he was the first choice for the role of ‘Arjun’. However, he didn’t want to shave off his moustache for the role, which made BR Chopra kick him out of his office. He was quoted as saying:
“When I gave my audition, dialogue writers Rahi Masoom Raza, Bhring Tupkari sahab and Pandit Narendra Sharma ji had a panel together. They all thought that I would suit the role of Arjuna well. We shook hands on that, and I signed the contract. Then BR Chopra called me and told me that since I would also have to play the role of Brihannala (the eunuch form of Arjuna), I would need to shave off my moustache for that.”