PremiumAb Dilli Dur Nahin actor Imran Zahid on Mahesh Bhatt: ‘I share a special bond with him’
The acclaimed filmmaker plays a cameo in the new movie, directed by Kamal Chandra
Last Updated: 08.16 PM, May 18, 2023
Director Kamal Chandra’s recently released social drama film Ab Dilli Dur Nahin is inspired by a true story. Starring Imran Zahid and Shruti Sodhi, the narrative chronicles the struggles in the life of a rickshaw-puller’s son in Bihar, who goes on to become an IAS officer in Delhi. Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who makes a cameo in the movie, recently spoke about how his househelp reacted after watching Ab Dilli Dur Nahin, while Imran opened up about his association with the acclaimed director.
In the movie, Bhatt saab plays the role of a television host and motivational speaker, who interviews the protagonist - Govind Jaiswal, played by Imran. The celebrated filmmaker, who was also involved in the creative process of the movie, said, “My househelp saw the film and she was talking about it. She even narrated the story in one line. She was happy that I backed the story of a poor man’s success.”
Also a theatre artiste, Imran has had a long association with the filmmaker. The actor has previously performed in a number of plays based on Mahesh’s films - including Arth, Daddy and Hamari Adhuri Kahani.
“I have shared a special bond with Bhatt saab since the past 11-12 years. When I met him for the first time at an event, he had said, ‘Tu toh hero lagta hai, tujhe filmon mein hona chahiye’. It made me feel very happy. After a week after that, he asked me to send a few photographs of mine, and we started communicating thereafter. Whenever he came to Delhi, he used to call me and we would sit and chat for a long time,” Imran said, adding, “Bhatt saab had even announced a movie on the inspiring life of JNU leader Chandrashekhar Prasad, and we started working on it, but it got shelved due to controversies. Then, we started working on The Last Play, which proved to be successful.”
Ab Dilli Dur Nahin is produced by Vinay Bhardwaj, Syed Z and Sanjay Mawar, while Jubin Nautiyal has lent his voice to a romantic track - Mehsoos Hua - in the film.