Vishal Bhardwaj defends Imran Khan’s casting in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Imran Khan, who took a hiatus from acting after the 2015 film Katti Batti, is now gearing up to make his Bollywood comeback. The actor worked with Vishal Bhardwaj in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. Even after the film failed to perform at the box office, the director defended his decision to cast Imran in the movie. 

2 things you need to know 

• Imran Khan starred opposite Anushka Sharma in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. 
• The film released in 2013, but flopped at the box office. 

Vishal Bhardwaj on Imran Khan’s acting abilities 

In a conversation with Lallantop, Vishal stated Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola was initially offered to Ajay Devgn but he couldn’t join the project due to his prior commitment to Son of Sardaar. Talking about Imran, the filmmaker also mentioned that people have been conditioned to believe a certain way about his acting. 

Vishal said, “I feel we all are a bit biased. We have been conditioned to think a certain way about Imran. I am not saying he is Uttam Kumar or Dilip Kumar, but we have been conditioned. I never said that he is a weak actor.” 

(Imran Khan worked with Vishal Bhardwaj in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, also starring Anushka Sharma | Image: X)

"If I directed 11 films, 22 were shut down. I was very angry and just wanted to make the film with anyone, I just wanted to tell the story. I just made the film with whoever was available at the time. And I think we are a little biased against Imran. We have been conditioned to think he is a bad actor. I am not saying he is Uttam Kumar or Dilip Kumar, but we have been conditioned. Never said that he is a weak actor,” he concluded.

Imran Khan’s acting comeback

After days of his fans demanding him to appear in a film as an actor, Imran Khan finally broke his silence by posting on the newly launched app, Threads. The actor said “To whom it may concern; I hear you. And I'm working on it. Thank you for being so patient with me.” 

Since then, there have been rumours of Imran reuniting with Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na director Abbas Tyrewala for a web series. The upcoming venture will see the actor stepping into the shoes of an intelligence officer. Set against the backdrop of South Asian counter-intelligence, the espionage thriller is in its pre-production phase and is slated to commence filming towards the end of this year.