Imtiaz Ali recalls being unsure of approaching Shah Rukh Khan for debut film Socha Na Tha: ‘How will I meet SRK?’

Imtiaz Ali shared an anecdote about his debut film Socha Na Tha, revealing that while his first producer was keen on casting Shah Rukh Khan, Imtiaz himself wasn't sure about approaching the superstar.

Imtiaz Ali and Shah Rukh Khan worked together in Jab Harry Met Sejal

Imtiaz Ali and Shah Rukh Khan worked together in the 2017 film Jab Harry Met Sejal. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Imtiaz Ali wanted to collaborate with Shah Rukh Khan for quite some time. The opportunity finally presented itself with his 2017 film Jab Harry Met Sejal. In a recent interview, Imtiaz not only praised Shah Rukh’s acting prowess but also lauded his admirable qualities. He shared an anecdote about his debut film Socha Na Tha, revealing that while his first producer was keen on casting SRK, Imtiaz himself wasn’t sure about approaching the superstar.

Reflecting on this, Imtiaz recounted his initial doubts, expressing uncertainty about how to approach Shah Rukh and whether he would even consider starring in his debut project. He told casting director Mukesh Chhabra on Mashable India’s The Bombay Dream, “The first producer of the film wanted me to cast Shah Rukh Khan as lead in Socha Na Tha. I was like, ‘How will I meet Shah Rukh Khan? How will he do this film and if Shah Rukh will do this film then why will I need you?’ But all of this happened before I came to Sunny Deol.”

Lauding Shah Rukh Khan, Imtiaz said, “Shah Rukh Khan is an amazing person. His human qualities, he is maximum in everything that he does. He has a lot of capacity. As a human being, I will rate him very very high. He is more interested in other people than himself, that’s why he is such a big star.”

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In a previous interview with Lallantop, Imtiaz Ali shared an intriguing account of how Sunny Deol became involved in producing Socha Na Tha. The film featured Abhay Deol and Ayesha Takia in the lead roles. When Sunny learned about his cousin Abhay’s collaboration with Imtiaz on a film project, he immediately offered to back it.

Also read | Imtiaz Ali was warned against narrating Socha Na Tha’s script to Sunny Deol: ‘He may slap you’

“Sunny Deol must have heard from somewhere that Abhay is planning to do a film. So, he summoned me and told me, ‘Ye kya ho raha hai? Pehle main approve karunga fir ye film banegi. I will produce it. (What is happening? This film will be made after my approval),” Imtiaz said.

Socha Na Tha may not have set the box office ablaze, but it garnered positive reviews from critics and the audience.

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