Aug 04, 2026 12:12pm IST
Farhan Akhtar on Reports of Exiting Aamir Khan’s ‘Lalkaara’: ‘How Do I Exit a Project I Never Entered Officially?’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Dismissing reports of his exit from Ashutosh Gowariker’s sports drama “Lalkaara” featuring Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar says, “How do I exit a project when I had never even entered it officially?” He emphasizes that projects being discussed don’t qualify as official announcements. “In the course of one’s career trajectory, every actor comes across many offers and projects. You sign some projects, and don’t sign some. It’s as simple as that,” he adds. The film, based on the iconic 1952 test series between India and Pakistan, is being produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment.
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The filmmaker-actor is set to play sitar virtuoso and composer Pandit Ravi Shankar in one of four films chronicling the lives of The Beatles members. Hollywood filmmaker Sam Mendes, who had previously helmed films like “Revolutionary Road,” “Skyfall,” “Spectre,” “Empire of Light” and “Hamnet,” will direct all four films, which are scheduled to release in April 2028. Akhtar is also in talks for the RD Burman biopic, which will be directed by Neeraj Pandey. He says it’s too early to say anything. “Playing one musical icon (Pandit Ravi Shankar) is a huge responsibility. I am completely focused on that. To play another musical icon (R D Burman), I have to get into another mindset, mood and era.”
His father, veteran screenwriter, lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, collaborated with R D Burman on soundtracks of films like “Sagar,” “Arjun,” “Betaab” and “1942: A Love Story.” Neeraj Pandey intends to bring on Javed Akhtar as a creative consultant.
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