Imran Khan reveals Ajay Devgn was supposed to be Matru: My casting was based on budget than the director's belief

Pic/Instagram

Amid strong rumours of a comeback, Imran Khan has been sharing anecdotes from the films he acted in. Taking his fans back in time, the actor-director opened up about his experiences. In his recent Instagram post, Imran recalled working on Vishal Bhardwaj's Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola co-starring Pankaj Kapur and Anushka Sharma.

Imran revealed he wasn't the first choice for the titular role of Matru. He was signed for it after Ajay Devgn withdrew himself before the filming commenced. The actor wrote, "I was never supposed to be Matru. The film was launched with Ajay Devgn attached as Matru, but he chose to withdraw before filming could commence. I was riding high off the back-to-back successes of Delhi Belly and MBKD, and close to wrapping the shoot of EMAET when I got the call; Vishal Bhardwaj wanted to meet me! I was thrilled. He told me about his passion project, a story he had been carrying close to his heart."

Imran further shared that he was chosen for the film based on the budget and didn't watch the final cut of Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. "I was anxious and terrified through the shoot of the film. I couldn't shake the feeling that Vishal had never really wanted me for this part, that my casting was based more on the budget that my presence could afford than the director's belief in me. And so it came to be that once we wrapped the shoot, I turned tail and ran, never looking back. I didn't even watch the final cut of the film when it was done," he added.

He also wrote, "Having a surreal, absurdist tone, the film was pretty well skewered upon release... but what can I say, I'm proud as hell of this movie. It was a bold experiment, a story that absolutely needed to see the light of day, and I consider it my privilege to have been a part of the team that made it happen. PS. I couldn't ride a motorcycle when I signed on, so I had to take lessons. I learned to ride Matru's Bullet in between shots while filming the 'Auntyji' song from EMAET!"

According to reports, Imran will be making a comeback with his Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na director, Abbas Tyrewalla. However, an official confirmation is awaited.