New Delhi: Pankaj Dheer, who passed away on October 15 at the age of 68, is eternally remembered as Karna from B.R. Chopra’s ‘Mahabharat’. However, an interesting piece of television history reveals that he was not the original choice for the role; in fact, he was fired from the show for refusing to part with his moustache for the role of Arjun.
In a 2023 interview, Dheer recounted how he was initially the first choice to play the celebrated archer, Arjun. “When I gave my audition, the panel, including dialogue writer Rahi Masoom Raza… thought that I would suit the role of Arjuna well. We shook hands on that and I signed the contract,” he had shared.
The situation took a dramatic turn when producer B.R. Chopra intervened. Chopra explained to Dheer that the role of Arjun required him to also portray Brihannala, Arjun’s eunuch disguise during his year of exile. This would necessitate shaving off his moustache. Dheer refused, stating, “My face’s balance is such that if I shave off my moustache, I won’t look good.”
Chopra was astounded by the actor’s refusal. “He told me, ‘Are you an actor or what? You are leaving such a big role because of a moustache,'” Dheer recalled. The disagreement led to Chopra throwing him out of his office. “Chopra sahab told me, ‘Get out of this door and don’t come back.’ He threw me out of his office. My contract was torn,” Dheer said in the interview.
Admitting it was “big stupidity” on his part, Dheer spent the next six months doing dubbing work. However, destiny had other plans. Six months later, B.R. Chopra called him back and offered him the role of Karna. Dheer’s first question was, “Sir I don’t have to shave off my moustache right?” When Chopra said no, Dheer accepted what would become the most iconic role of his career, cementing his legacy as Indian television’s original “Surya Putra.”
