Farhan Akhtar recalls over delay in shoot for Jee Le Zaraa
Farhan spoke about how stressful the period turned out to be for him due to inordinate delay eventually triggering his insecurities.
Farhan Akhtar on how Jee Le Zaraa’s delays impacted him.
Farhan revealed that he rejected acting roles and other opportunities that came his way in order to focus on Jee Le Zaraa, but the shooting schedule kept getting pushed. He said, “So his film Toofan hit the theatres in 2021, and right following that, he was set to direct a film called Jee Le Zara. It just kept getting delayed, and for those two years, he kept saying no to all other opportunities that came his way. He did that because when you have to direct, you can only focus on that. If an acting role came, he told them, ‘No, he is soon going to be directing’.”
The actor shared how his insecurities began to take over as the production dates continued to shift.
He said, “It was such a stressful period because he was under the impression that he was wasting time, and before I knew it, two and a half years had gone by. There are some personal insecurities as well. I started feeling that maybe people will think that I wouldn’t be able to direct. It had been 12 years since I had directed a film, and maybe people would doubt my skills. When you sit with a therapist and you tell these things, you start realising where all these things are coming from. Because he never wanted to say, ‘Let me move on from this film.’”
Jee Le Zaraa is a road-trip film, a light-hearted story about female friendships, self-discovery and making independent choices.
The film created major buzz when first announced. However, reports soon surfaced that aligning the schedules of the three actors turned into a challenge. The film would have marked Farhan’s return to direction after his 2011 film Don 2.
In September this year, Farhan hinted that Alia, Katrina and Priyanka may no longer be part of the cast. Speaking on the YouTube channel Our Stupid Reactions, he said, “I have finished all location scouts, recorded music for the film. So it’s just a matter of time before we come back and do it again. I can’t comment on the cast any more, like what that will be and when that will land.
Farhan is currently seen in the film 120 Bahadur.
The war film features Farhan Akhtar as Major Shaitan Singh alongside Raashii Khanna, Vivan Bhatena Ankit Siwach in stellar roles. The film recounts the Battle of Rezang La one of the major battles of the Sino-Indian War fought on 18 November 1962, when 120 soldiers of the Charlie Company, 13 Kumaon Regiment, made up entirely of Ahirs, defended their post against a 3,000-strong Chinese army contingent, inflicting over 1,300 casualties.
The actor is set to begin work on Don 3 in 2026. The film will feature Ranveer Singh in the lead role, while the female lead is yet to be confirmed.
News Edit KV Raman
