Nitish Bharadwaj Did Not Want To Play 'Krishna' In 'Mahabharat', Wanted To Play Yama's Incarnation

Nitish Bharadwaj is one of the few actors in the history of Indian film and television industries whose stardom reached an unprecedented level. From people keeping his picture in their home temple to fans lying down on the floor to seek his blessings, his stardom remains the same even after so many decades. It was October 2, 1988, and the first episode of BR Chopra's Mahabharat premiered on DD National. The show introduced a young Nitish Bharadwaj as Lord Krishna, who was making his television debut at the age of 25.

Nitish Bharadwaj said 'no' to the opportunity to play 'Lord Krishna' in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, here's why

However, to everyone's surprise, Nitish Bharadwaj impressed the audiences with his portrayal of 'Lord Krishna' in Mahabharat. The actor overshadowed some of the biggest actors of that era, who were also a part of the show, with so much ease. There came a point in Nitish's career when people used to stand in queues outside the sets where Nitish Kumar was shooting just to catch a slight glimpse of the actor.

Nitish Bharadwaj enjoyed the peak of stardom due to his portrayal of 'Shri Krishna' in BR Chopra's Mahabharat. However, not everyone is aware fo the fact that Nitish Bharadwaj didn't want to play Lord Krishna in Mahabharat initially. Yes! You read it right. The performance that has given him so much fame and taken his career to a completely different level is something he turned down in the first place.

Once, in an old interview with Times Now News, Nitish Bharadwaj recalled the time when he went to the audition for Mahabharat. The actor revealed that he was called to do an audition for the character of 'Vidur' and he also wanted to play the same. However, when he saw Virendra Razdan preparing for the same role, he went straight to Ravi Chopra and told him about it. The producer told Nitish that he wouldn't fit in Vidur's role because the character is going to be old throughout the show after a few initial episodes.

Nitish Bharadwaj admitted that he wanted to play the character of Vidur, who is an incarnation of Lord Yama. When things couldn't materialise, the actor told Ravi Chopra that he was also interested in playing 'Nakul' or 'Shahdev,' but once again, he couldn't just fit in any of these roles. In the end, it was Gufi Paintal who called Nitish Kumar's mother and informed her that they were considering Nitish for the role of Lord Krishna. The actor already knew about it and had told his mother to say 'no', but she didn't decline the opportunity and told Gufi to wait to complete her son's film.

Once the shooting of Nitish Bharadwaj's Marathi film ended, he came home and was shocked to know that his mother hadn't said 'no' to Gufi Paintal. However, he decided not to answer any calls from Gufi Paintal and BR Chopra. But as destiny has planned it already, BR Chopra and Nitish Bharadwaj bumped into each other, and the former convinced him to give a screen test for the role of 'Lord Krishna', and the rest is history. It's fair to say that Lord Krishna chose Nitish to play him in Mahabharat, which has now become the actor's identity.

What are your thoughts on Nitish Bharadwaj's decision not to play Lord Krishna initially but to try to fit in the role of Vidur, Nakul, or Shahdev? Let us know.

Also Read: Sourabh Raaj Jain Was Once Forgiven By A Cop Because He Played 'Lord Krishna' In 'Mahabharat'

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