Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna and is celebrated with much fervour across the country. This year, it will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 11. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the shravana by fasting, distributing food and sweets, praying, singing bhajans, night vigils and visiting Krishna temples. Dahi Handi is one of the most important aspect of the festival and is observed on the second day of Janmashtami to commemorate the birth of Krishna.
Lord Krishna is the most popular Hindu God. He is known as the God of compassion, tenderness, love, romance and peace. His charming persona. Worshiped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu, Krishna is a supreme God in his own right. He is widely revered among Indian divinities. While playing a mythological character is not easy, especially when it comes to Indian Gods, several actors have donned Lord Krishna's avatar.
From Akshay Kumar to Sourabh Raaj Jaini, several actors have impeccably essayed the role of the Lord Krishna and done justice to his charming personality, his demeanor and aura. While audiences have seen some amazing actors depict the role of Krishna over the decades, here are a few of them:
Akshay Kumar in 'Oh My God'
The 2012 comedy 'Oh My God' saw Akshay Kumar playing the role of Lord Krishna. The satirical comedy-drama, based on a Gujarati stage-play, starred Paresh Rawal as an atheist who sues God after an earthquake destroys his antique shop. The film, which explored the themes of religion and superstition, also had Akshay Kumar play modern-day Lord Krishna.
Nitish Bharadwaj in 'Mahabharat'
Nitish Bharadwaj essayed the role of Lord Krishna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, which featured Roopa Ganguly as Draupadi, with Gajendra Chauhan, Praveen Kumar, Arjun, Sameer Chitre and Sanjeev Chitre as the Pandavas, and Punit Issar playing Duryodhana. The show ran originally from 2 October 1988 to 24 June 1990.
Sourabh Raaj Jain in 'Mahabharat'
Television actor Sourabh Raaj Jain is best Known for playing the role of Krishna in Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s television show 'Mahabharat' and that of Lord Shiva in ‘Mahakaali – Anth hi Aarambh hai’ actor. Sourabh became a household name after playing Lord Krishna in the mythological TV serial and the impact was such that the actor is still associated with the show. Jain continued to live under the shadow of his character, with people remembering him for the role of Lord Krishna.
Vishal Karwal in 'Paramavatar Shri Krishna'
Television actor Vishal Karwal is best known for his portrayal of Lord Krishna in 'Dwarkadheesh – Bhagwaan Shree Krishn' and was also roped in to essay Lord Vishnu in another TV show 'Paramavatar Shri Krishna'. The show was launched at the ISKCON temple. It showcased the journey of Lord Krishna from his birth to being worshiped as God, with four-year-old Nirnay Samadhiya playing the younger Krishna. Vishal, who played Krishna in other mythological shows, was seen as Vishnu.
Mrunal Jain in 'Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki'
Television actor Mrunal Jain made his debut with Ekta Kapoor's 2008 mythological show 'Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki', which was the adaption of the Hindu epic. Despite having an ensemble cast of actors like Sakshi Tanwar, Ronit Roy, Chetan Hanraj, Anita Hassanandani and others, the show failed to impress the audience. However, Mrunal Jain's character was one of the most loved characters in the show and became a turning point for his acting career.
Ssudeep Sahir in 'Paramavatar Shri Krishna'
Ssudeep Sahir starred in TV's mythological serial 'Paramavatar Shri Krishna' as the male lead playing the role of Lord Krishna. The Hindi mythological drama television series also starred Nirnay Samadhiya, Vishal Karwal and Gulki Joshi.
