Not seeking to be a big star: Imran Khan

Imran Khan, who is back on the big screen after a decade with a cameo in ‘Happy Patel’, said his return is driven by a desire to reconnect and make movies for the sheer joy of it.

Over the past two years, Imran sifted through numerous scripts but found none that sparked interest until he heard about ‘Happy Patel’, which marks the directorial debut of his ‘Delhi Belly’ co-star and friend Vir Das.

“In late 2023, when I started reemerging from my hibernation and connecting with the world, people said, ‘Hey, this guy is alive’ and started reaching out. But my approach at this point is very different from what it was back then,” the actor, who was last seen on screen in the 2015 film, ‘Katti Batti’, told PTI in an interview.

He added, “Not everybody wants the same thing from their careers. Everyone’s got different paths that they’re seeking. I’m not seeking to build myself into a very big star, to be the biggest star or to be in the top three. Unless I love the film and really want to make it, I won’t... I will only make a film if I feel FOMO (fear of missing out).”

Acknowledging that he is financially secure, Imran, best known for rom-coms like ‘Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa’, ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ and ‘Break Ke Baad’, said at this point in his life, he prefers working alongside friends and like-minded individuals.

“The reason that I ever made films was to play with my friends. We get a bunch of friendly people together; we paint our faces; we put on costumes and we play the part. That’s how I see moviemaking. Not to take away from how seriously one takes the thing, but creating art must come from a place of love and joy,” he said.