Not Imran Khan, THIS actor was the first choice for Vishal Bhardwaj's Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola; the actor reveals his unforgettable experience

Imran Khan, who is looking to make a comeback to movies, has been reflecting on his career journey on his Instagram page. The actor has been sharing anecdotes about each of his movies, good or bad. Today, the actor posted about the Vishal Bhardwaj film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, in which he was seen alongside Pankaj Kapur and Anushka Sharma. Imran revealed that he was not the first choice for the film, and the filmmaker was also not keen to cast him.

Not the first choice

He wrote, "I was never supposed to be Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. 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 Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and close to wrapping the shoot of Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu 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."

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Imran shared that it was a film about greed, the economic exploitation of farmers, and the menace of unregulated development. The film struck a chord with me, but he was hesitant; the actor would have to learn Haryanvi and be ready to roll in less than three months. He was worried about how on earth he was going to pull it off.

Imran went to the famous NK Sharma and a few of his students in Delhi for rigorous workshops to help him achieve his goal. Panditji, as they fondly referred to him, was the first person to draw the actor's attention to that critical internal monologue. He informed Imran, "You only listen to the voice that tells you you are worthless." To quote one of them, "Why do you disrespect the thousands of voices that say they love you?" His words passed through Imran's ears without being fully processed.

Imran Khan's pride in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Talking about Vishal and the whole film experience, the Delhi Belly actor went on to say, "I was anxious and terrified throughout the shooting of the film. I couldn't shake the feeling that Vishal had never really wanted me for this part and 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."

However, the film's absurdist, surreal tone led to widespread criticism upon its initial release, but Imran was "proud as hell" of the film. He called it a risky endeavour, but the narrative behind it was one that deserved to be told, and the actor counts it an honour to have been a member of the team that made it possible.

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Imran concluded by stating, "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 Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu!"