Farhan Akhtar opens up on Jee Le Zaraa delay’addresses the future of the film
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In 2021, Farhan Akhtar broke the internet when he announced Jee Le Zaraa with the dream cast of Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, and Alia Bhatt.
In 2021, when Jee Le Zaraa was announced with a dream cast of Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt, it quickly became one of the most talked-about films. Two years down the line, the movie still hasn’t gone on the floors, and the question many have been asking is whether Jee Le Zaraa is happening or not. However, the good part is that the movie hasn’t been shelved, but it also hasn’t moved ahead.
Farhan Akhtar, who was the director of the movie, has talked about the project time and again and has assured fans that the movie will be made, but whether the same cast will remain is still a question. Amid all this, the actor has recently spoken about Jee Le Zaraa and how it affected him.
Farhan Akhtar on Jee Le Zaraa delay and how it affected him
Akhtar is currently promoting his 120 Bahadur, and during his recent interview with the YouTube channel Unfiltered by Samdish, Farhan talked about his mental health journey and how the delay made him question his capabilities.
“So my film Toofan was released in 2021, and right after that, I was set to direct a film called Jee Le Zara. It just kept getting delayed, and for those two years, I kept saying no to all other opportunities that came my way. I did that because when you have to direct, you can only focus on that. If an acting role came, I told them, ‘No, I am soon going to be directing’,” Farhan said.
He revealed that he went on to reject other opportunities that came his way while he was waiting to start the movie.
Calling it a stressful period, the singer said, “It was such a stressful period because I thought that I 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 would 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 I didn’t want to say, ‘Let me move on from this film.’’
The last film that Farhan directed was Don (2011), starring Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. The next films on his slate are Jee Le Zaraa and Don 3, and while Don 3 is set to start in 2026, there is no confirmation on when the shoot of Jee Le Zaraa will start.
Earlier this year, Farhan talked about the project, revealing that the movie has not been shelved but has been shifted to the back burner.
During a candid chat, The Don 2 said, “I would hate to say that it’s shelved. What I will say is that it has been put on the back burner. It is a film that will happen. Again, I don’t know when it will be. But it’s too delicious a script and there’s so much work that has already been done on it.”
The movie is penned by Farhan, his sister Zoya Akhtar, and Reema Kagti.
Meanwhile, Akhtar’s 120 Bahadur, which is based on the real-life heroism of the Battle of Rezang La (1962), is currently playing in theatres.