The iconic show of the 90s ‘Shaktimaan’ is a golden page in the history of Indian television, which cannot be forgotten even if one wants to. This superhero show of Mukesh Khanna entertained children and adults alike for eight consecutive years. Every character of this show is still alive in the minds of the audience, especially the lead female character of the show ‘Geeta Biswas’, but a question was revolving in the minds of the audience regarding this character for years that why the initially very beautiful and popular Geeta Biswas was suddenly replaced from the show and where and in what condition is she now. Let us tell you about it in detail today.
Won the hearts of fans beautifully in the initial episodes.
You might remember that in the first few episodes of ‘Shaktimaan’, famous actress Kitu Gidwani played the role of journalist Geeta Biswas. Due to his sharp features, amazing screen presence and excellent acting, he had made the audience crazy in a very short time. However, after some time, she was replaced by actress Vaishnavi Mahant and till the end of the show, she was seen as Geeta Biswas. Kitu Gidwani had made a place in the heart of every child of that era with her simplicity and beauty, but her sudden departure from the show had become a puzzle for everyone.
Now the look has completely changed
After years, Kitu Gidwani’s look has completely changed. Her style has changed with increasing age, but her grace still remains intact. Talking about his career, he made his big mark with the TV serial ‘Trishna’ which came in the year 1985, which is considered to be the first main TV role of his life. After this, he proved his versatility in big Bollywood films like Priyanka Chopra’s ‘Fashion’, Kiran Rao’s ‘Dhobi Ghat’, ‘Student of the Year’ and ‘Ok Jaanu’.
Kept distance from TV industry
In recent years, Kitu has distanced himself from the glamor world and the glare of TV. Now she chooses characters with utmost thought and depth. He made a comeback on TV after almost two decades in the year 2023 through ‘Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum’ and was last seen in the year 2025 in the film ‘Madame Driver’. In an interview, she expressed concern over the female characters of today’s era and said that now strong and pivotal women like ‘Rajini’, ‘Shanti’ or ‘Swabhiman’ (in which she played the role of Svetlana) are not seen on TV.
Still regret the decision
In a recent interview, Kitu Gidwani finally revealed the real reason behind leaving ‘Shaktiman’ and admitted that even today he regrets his decision. He said, ‘In those days, the makers had strange ideas and we had to shoot at very scary locations. When you are young, you have many dreams. I felt at that time that perhaps this show was not made for me and I should do something where I myself would be completely in the lead role. Although I loved doing comedy scenes in the show, I decided to move on. Today I regret that mistake, I wish I had done at least 100 episodes.
Mukesh Khanna revealed the secret
Now ‘Shaktimaan’ i.e. Mukesh Khanna himself has revealed his 20 year old secret on this whole matter on his YouTube channel ‘Bhishma International’. Mukesh Khanna told, ‘Fans always asked me why Kitu Gidwani was replaced? Actually it was completely a professional decision. Kitu was doing very good work, but one day she told the director that this hustle and bustle was not in her capacity. Since it was a superhero show, there was bound to be action and chaos. Also during that time Kitu also had offers for some French films.
Why was Kitu suddenly changed?
Referring to a special incident, Mukesh Khanna said, ‘Once we were shooting the song ‘Rukchik’ for the Stoneman episode in Fantasyland. We had booked the entire venue for this three-day shoot. Kitu came for two days and also danced, but on the third day she did not reach the set without informing. To avoid huge losses, I took an immediate decision and asked the director to replace him. After this we got Vaishnavi, who was given complete love and acceptance by the audience in the form of Geeta Biswas.
SK Sharma is a content writer who writes on news, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. She has over four years of experience and is known for conveying information in simple and clear language.
