On Janmashtami, Nitish Bharadwaj says transforming into Lord Krishna is more than just wearing clothes | Exclusive

Nitish Bharadwaj Pic/Facebook

When we think of Lord Krishna's portrayal on the screen, our mind instantly comes up with the image of renowned actor Nitish Bharadwaj in BR Chopra's ‘Mahabharat'. On Janmashtami 2024, the thespian speaks exclusively to Mid-day.com on taking up the iconic role, his stance on the current outrage around women's safety, and more.

Playing Lord Krishna in Mahabharat

Nitish recalls that it was Ravi Chopra who believed that he had the necessary elements of the deity to perform the role. It was he and writer Rahi Masoom Raza who insisted that Nitish do a screen test, after which he was immediately selected. Sharing an interesting anecdote from the sets, the actor reveals, "I remember the day Roopa Ganguly walked onto the set; most actors on the set had decided to impress this gorgeous lady as she was already a heartthrob of young men. I was sitting in one corner reading the scene, but after exchanging pleasantries with those actors, she straight walked up to me and said that she wanted to discuss the Krishna-Draupadi relationship with me, which she had read in a Bengali book titled Pancha-Janyo. That day, I saw many actors spewing angry gazes at me. We discussed the topic the whole day, but there we made a strong and healthy bond of Sakha-Sakhi relationship. We are good friends even today."

Getting into the character was more than just a dress-up game for Nitish. He maintains, "Transforming into Lord Krishna is not only wearing clothes; it is a much deeper understanding of what he stood for, and I am still learning to be like him from my own life experiences. Life is putting me through such strong ups and downs that I seek refuge in his Geeta philosophy and am trying to celebrate every emotion that life throws at me - both happy and sad. Krishna celebrated life as Utsav; I am learning to do so with detachment from both happiness and sorrow."

If Lord Krishna came to every woman's aid today…

Amid the ongoing outrage following the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, sexual assault of minors in Badlapur, Maharashtra, Nitish says, "I feel shameful to call myself a ‘purush' (man). Gods and goddesses gave physical strength to men over women (generally) to protect the weak and needy, but the recent two barbaric incidents force me to say - Ban social media for 10 years; it is only inciting the ‘vikriti' or perversion in man. Bring back stronger punishments like in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's laws. Barbaric-sounding punishments for barbaric crimes. Shivaji Maharaj once cut off the hands and limbs of a rapist. Such demons don't deserve mercy and democratic merciful laws. Such strong punishments given publicly will instill fear in more perverted criminals before they victimize a woman or a child. Start one year of compulsory military education for all citizens at the age of 15, everyone, irrespective of whether they are in schools or not."

Message for fans on Janmashtami 2024

Nitish explains that our country is going through an extremely tumultuous time from the points of view of religious uprisings, economy, geopolitics of the Indian subcontinent, foreign powers working to defeat our rise as a nation, and the overall age-old tradition of spreading world peace. Here's what he expects from his fans and followers - "It is not enough to watch the serial, be fans of Lord Ram-Krishna, and take selfies with me. Today's youth must understand what Krishna stood for; he was a social reformer, political maverick, and a great spiritual master who left the legacy of the Bhagavad Gita, which is a timeless philosophy to help us become human beings but also fight the evil if and when required. The Gita is the ultimate book of "non-dual Vedanta" philosophy, which the youth should learn from the age of 12-13 so that they make better decisions to steer their lives to prosperity balanced with inner joy, satisfaction, and peace."