Surendra Pal initially refused role of Dronacharya in Mahabharata, says "thought my career will end here"
Mumbai, August 11
Actor Surendra Pal, who is popularly known for his role of Dronacharya in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, revealed that he initially refused the role because of the character's age.
In an interview with ANI, Surendra Pal recalled being offered the role of Dronacharya after initially hoping to play Arjun or Karna. He said he was reluctant to portray an older character, fearing it would end his career.
"Mahabharata was to be telecast. Gufi Paintal had called me and said, 'Can you come to my office?' I said, yes, I will come. I met Goofy sir. He welcomed me very well and said, there is one role left. All our castings have been done. I thought, I will do either Arjun's role or Karan's role because I was very good-looking," he said.
"I had good height and breadth. I thought, I would get a good role. Young, dynamic, but when they told me to play the Dronacharya role, I refused, Goofy sir, but when I played Dronacharya in front of BR Chopra, he said, 'this looks like Dronacharya and said we will make him Dronacharya'," he added.
However, the actor refused due to the character's old age. To this, writer Dr Rahi Masoom Raza reminded him that Dronacharya was a powerful army general, not simply an old man. The actor said he was deeply moved by the interaction and eventually accepted the role, which became memorable for him.
"I said, I want to say something to you. He said, 'go ahead'. I said, I don't want to play the role of an old man. I am not interested. I think my career will end here. He smiled and said, 'it's not like that'. Dr Rahi Masoom Raza was sitting there. He scolded me a lot. As I told you earlier, he said, 'Dronacharya was not an old man. He was an army general. He could have made 10 Arjuns and 10 Duryodhans. He could have slapped both of them. He was such a powerful man. And if he had fought the war of Mahabharata with his Yatha Shakti. Then before sunrise and sunset, he might have ended the whole war. He was such a powerful man'," Pal said.
"Anyway, I got a lot of scolding from him for this. And I was so emotional that I started crying there," he added.
Apart from the role in Mahabharata, the actor is also known for his roles Amatya Rakshas in Chanakya, Tamraj Kilvish in Shaktiman and Daksha in Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is such a classic case of "jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai" 😄 Imagine if he had played Arjun instead? We might never have gotten that iconic Dronacharya! The Mahabharat serial was pure gold - every actor was perfectly cast. BR Chopra ji had an eye for talent.
The story behind the casting is as dramatic as the Mahabharat itself! Rahi Masoom Raza's scolding actually makes sense - Dronacharya was indeed a warrior, not just an old man. Such profound wisdom. This is why our epic serials were so authentic - because the makers understood the depth of these characters.
It's amazing how some of the best decisions happen when we least expect them. Surendra Pal's reluctance probably made him put extra effort into the role. The result? A performance that's remembered 30+ years later. Really cool to see this piece of TV history.
I still get goosebumps thinking about his scenes in Mahabharat! The way he delivered those dialogues about dharma and duty - you could feel the weight of his character. He was also brilliant as Tamraj Kilvish in Shaktimaan - what range! From divine teacher to evil villain, he did it all effortlessly.
This interview reveals how even veteran actors can misjudge a role. But it also shows the importance of good writers and directors who can see beyond one's limited perspective. Rahi sahab's words about Dronacharya's power - "he could have
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