Never even entered: Farhan Akhtar on rumours of exiting Aamir Khan's Lalkaara

Actor Farhan Akhtar has dismissed reports that he exited Aamir Khan's Lalkaara, clarifying that he was never officially on board the project. He also explained that being in discussions for a film does not necessarily mean an actor has signed on or committed to it.

In Short

• Farhan Akhtar rejected rumours of exiting Aamir Khan's Lalkaara
• The actor explained how he was never a part of the film officially
• Ashutosh Gowariker is directing the period sports drama on 1952 cricket

Actor Farhan Akhtar broke his silence on reports claiming that he had exited Aamir Khan’s upcoming sports drama Lalkaara. Reacting to the rumours, the actor-filmmaker clarified that he was never officially part of the project, making reports of his exit inaccurate.

Speaking to Mid-Day, Farhan questioned how he could have exited a film he had never formally joined. “How do I exit a project when I had never even entered it officially?” he said. He further explained that actors often discuss multiple projects before deciding which ones to commit to, and that being in talks for a film should not be mistaken for signing it.

“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 added.

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lalkaara is based on the historic 1952 India-Pakistan Test series and stars Aamir Khan in the lead. The film is backed by Excel Entertainment, founded by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.

Putting the rumours to rest, Farhan is currently focused on an international project in which he will portray the legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. The film is one of four interconnected movies based on the lives of the members of The Beatles. Acclaimed filmmaker Sam Mendes, known for films such as Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, Spectre, Empire of Light and Hamnet, is directing all four projects, which are scheduled to release in April 2028.

In the same interview, he also confirmed that discussions are underway for Neeraj Pandey’s planned biopic on music legend RD Burman, although he stressed that nothing has been finalised yet.

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