Mumbai: In Bollywood, several actors have missed out on major projects due to various reasons including creative differences, scheduling conflicts, or changing priorities in the industry. While some choose to stay silent about such setbacks, actor Imran Khan has now spoken openly about films he lost that later went on to become superhits.
Imran Khan, who recently returned to acting after a 10-year sabbatical, revealed that early in his career, top filmmakers such as Rohit Shetty and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra had approached him for films like Chennai Express and Delhi 6. However, things did not work out as expected.
Speaking to PTI about Chennai Express, Imran said Rohit Shetty had offered him the film shortly after the success of Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, but both felt he was not the right fit for the role. The film eventually starred Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone and became a major hit.
“We had a couple of conversations about it, but we realised we were not in sync creatively. His narration was hilarious and the film turned out to be hilarious, but I don’t think I was right for it. Shah Rukh Khan was a better choice,” Imran said.
Speaking about Chennai Express, the SRK and Deepika-starrer became an all-time blockbuster. The film’s success was driven by its festive Eid release, wide distribution across 3,500+ screens, a mix of action, comedy, and romance, as well as popular songs like the “Lungi Dance” tribute to Rajinikanth. It went on to become one of the highest-grossing Hindi films worldwide, earning over Rs 423 crore.
Imran made his acting debut in 2008 with Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na and went on to star in popular films such as I Hate Luv Storys, Break Ke Baad, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, and Delhi Belly.
Meanwhile, Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos (2026), a spy comedy-thriller starring Vir Das and backed by Aamir Khan Productions, released in theatres on January 16, 2026. Following a poor box office performance, reports suggest it may release digitally on Aamir Khan’s YouTube channel on a pay-per-view basis.
Apart from this, Imran Khan will next be seen in Adhure Hum Adhure Tum, a Netflix romantic drama directed by Danish Aslam. The film marks his official return as a lead actor and also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Gurfateh Pirzada.
(With inputs from PTI)
