Happy Janmashtami 2023: From Nitish Bhardwaj to Sumedh Mudgalkar, a look at actors who have played Lord Krishna on TV

The holy festival Janmashtami is here and the entire nation is celebrating it with love and excitement. Over the decades we watched several TV shows on Lord Krishna and his divine tales have been known by everyone. From Sourabh Raha Jain, Sumedh Mudgalkar to Sudeep Sahir, these actors have left no stone unturned and have made a special place in netizens hearts for playing Krishna on-screen. This Janmashtami let’s take a look at TV actors who played Krishna on Television..

Sourabh Raaj Jain’s role of Krishna in Mahabharat (2013-14) is one of the most loved on-screen characters till date. From his getup to dialogue delivery, fans loved it all. Sourabh made a special place in netizens hearts with his role of Krishna in the popular Mahabharat. Sourabh Raaj Jain, who played Krishna in Mahabharat in an interview said, “There are so many emotions an actor gets to explore as Krishna – sad, happy, affectionate – it is every actor’s dream to play this role.” Speaking on why actors are comfortable playing God without being typecast, he says, “Unlike earlier TV shows, Krishna today is shown to have emotions. In the Draupadi ka cheer haran scene, the earlier TV shows had Krishna smiling, this time, I was shown in pain and anger. Krishna has undergone a makeover on TV, keeping the current audience in mind.”

Ssudeep played the role of Krishna is the popular TV show Paramvatar Shri Krishna. The actor in an interview confirmed that even though he was quite apprehensive of playing a mythological character, it was worth the risk. Ssudeep added, “Lord Krishna’s role was offered to me not once but thrice. And each time, I would be apprehensive about the idea. I wasn’t comfortable with the mythological genre and I wasn't really sure that I’ll be able to pull off such a character. But my wife convinced me,” he says. But the first day of the shoot was tough for Ssudeep. “I almost decided to quit after the first episode. I wasn’t able to mug up those heavy dialogues, and the elaborate costumes were too much for me. But then I decided to give myself one more day. And things automatically got easy for me. The whole aura of Lord Krishna got the better of me and I started loving the stories. I was completely engrossed in the script. I got to know several aspects of Lord Krishna. And the kind of exposure and career satisfaction I have got from playing this role, I don't think I would have got that from any fictional drama.”

Another popular actor whose name is connected with Krishna is Swapnil Joshi. “I was only 15 when I played Him,” recalled Swapnil, adding “I was blessed to have played Krishna at a time when not so many mythological shows were on air on TV. At that point, there was a very thin line between real and reel in viewers’ psyche. Also, since it was a weekly show, for which I worked over two years, the writing was very very strong. Lord Krishna is more glamourised today, while earlier we had strong stories told in a simple way.”

Sumedh created magic as Krishna for the viewers of RadhaKrishn. His royal getup, chemistry with Mallika Singh (Radha), and more was something that fans loved and appreciated. “Playing Lord Krishna is a dream for most actors. Gone are the days when actors would get typecast playing gods on screen. For actors, it is a milestone in their careers,” he said.

Nirnay Samadhiya won many hearts as the young Krishna aka Ladoo Gopal in Paramavatar Shri Krishna. He played the role of Baal Krishna for more than two years in the TV show. He was loved for his amazing acting skills in the show. “Krishna as a child is a superhero for kids. In India, kids love Bal Krishna, so when Nirnay was offered the role, I couldn’t say no. More than an acting opportunity, I saw it as a divine calling for him. In real life too, he is treated as Krishna by family and friends,” said Deepali, Nirnay’s mother.