Imtiaz Ali comments on not utilising Shah Rukh Khan’s stardom in Jab Harry Met Sejal; says, “I wouldn’t have made it very filmy, but…”

Imtiaz Ali’s Jab Harry Met Sejal is a rom-com flick that starred Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles. Despite the lead actors and director’s impressive box office records, the 2017 film tanked at the box office after opening to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and fans. During a recent chat, Ali got candid about the flop and how he didn’t use SRK’s stardom to the fullest for JHMS.

Imtiaz Al on not utilising Shah Rukh Khan’s stardom in Jab Harry Met Sejal

During a recent chat with Mid-Day, Imtiaz Ali opened up about the flaws of the film and not using Khan’s strength as a superstar to the fullest. He said, “I have always done films like how I have done television and theatre. There is a story and there are actors and through these actors, you tell the story. The story comes first and the story is the only thing. Everything fits into it and so do I.”

Talking about how Shah Rukh Khan’s accessibility kept him from factoring in the actor’s stardom, the filmmaker said, “I feel that Shah Rukh is the biggest star I worked with, but he is so accessible person that he never gives you the impression that ‘I am somebody.’ He is just a regular guy, sitting over here and talking.”

The ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ star added, “But the fact that he is such a humongous star is not something that I had not calculated or made provision for at all. I had written and directed the film like I would for anybody. But, he is Shah Rukh. It manifested in ways I wasn’t thinking. I would have written and showcased the film differently. I wouldn’t have made it very filmy; but I would have added flashbacks and scenes where Shah Rukh could be used to the best of his strength, both as an actor and a star.” He added, “I didn’t figure that out.”

About Jab Harry Met Sejal

Written and directed by Imtiaz Ali, JHMS marked Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan’s third film together after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The film was a box-office bomb in India, but was fairly successful overseas.

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