Jude Anthany Joseph Clarifies Shelved Hindi Project with Ayushmann Khurrana, Hopes for Future Collaboration
Mumbai, India – Renowned director Jude Anthany Joseph has stepped forward to address the swirling speculation surrounding his unproduced Hindi film, a project that was slated to star Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana. Joseph recently met with Khurrana and took the opportunity to clear up previous comments he made regarding the film’s unfortunate shelving, particularly those concerning Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.
The clarification came via a social media post where Joseph shared a picture with Khurrana. In his post, the filmmaker explained that his earlier reference to Mohanlal, which had caused a stir, was directed at the producer involved in the project, not at Ayushmann Khurrana himself. "Wonderful catching up with Ayushmann today. Just to clarify, my Mohanlal Sir comment was about the producer and had nothing to do with him. Nothing but respect between us. Hope we get to work together soon!" wrote the ‘Thudakkam’ director.
Ayushmann Khurrana Impressed by Mohanlal Script
Joseph further elaborated that Khurrana had shown genuine enthusiasm for the script developed for the proposed film. He stressed that the actor was not to blame for the project’s failure to materialize. "He was so happy with the Mohanlal sir script, and unfortunately it didn’t work out. It was definitely not his fault that it didn’t happen. But I’m genuinely happy that I got to meet an actor with so much talent and calibre. Hope we get to work together someday."
This clarification from Joseph follows his recent interaction with Club FM, where he had discussed the proposed Hindi venture and disclosed the circumstances that ultimately led to its abandonment.
Ayushmann Khurrana Praises Jude Anthany Joseph and Mohanlal
In a heartwarming response to Joseph’s social media post, Ayushmann Khurrana conveyed his admiration for the director’s work. His comment read, "I’m a fan of your work and I hope that I get the opportunity to work with you soon. I have the utmost respect for Mohanlal sir’s work. He is a legend. I hope I’m worthy enough to share screen space with him someday." This exchange highlights mutual respect and a shared desire for a future collaboration between the two talents.
Director Reveals Reason for Project’s Collapse
Delving deeper into the project’s development, Joseph had previously revealed that the Hindi film had made significant progress. He had meticulously worked on the basic storyline before approaching a production house, with the concept then moving forward for discussions with the makers.
"At that point, I put forward a demand to them. I told them that I could complete the script, but my condition was that Lal sir should be confirmed for the project," Joseph stated. However, this condition was not met by the production house, which preferred to evaluate the completed screenplay before making casting decisions.
Production House’s Approach Led to Standoff
The director pinpointed the production team’s response as a critical turning point. He explained, "They responded by saying, ‘First, we need to like the script. Only then will we think about the secondary artists.’" This fundamental difference in expectations regarding casting and script approval ultimately led to the project not moving forward. Joseph’s latest statement unequivocally absolves Ayushmann Khurrana of any responsibility for the film being shelved, making it clear that the impasse lay with the production house’s approach to talent acquisition.
Meanwhile, Jude Anthany Joseph’s latest directorial venture, ‘Thudakkam’, which marks the debut of Vismaya Mohanlal, is currently receiving positive responses from audiences, demonstrating the director’s continued creative prowess.
