Farhan Akhtar has finally broken his silence on the fate of his highly anticipated film ‘Jee Le Zaraa’. Announced in 2021, the road-trip movie was set to star Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif. However, following the pandemic, was set to go on floors in 2022 but later failed to take off, sparking buzz that the movie has been shelved. However, the director, who has now reportedly shifted his focus to other films including ‘Don 3’, has reassured fans that his film is not shelved, but temporarily “on the back burner.”
Farhan Akhtar confirms ‘Jee Le Zaraa’ still on the cards
Speaking on the Our Stupid Reactions podcast, the director addressed ongoing speculation. “I would hate to say that it is shelved. What I will say is that it is put on the back burner. It is a film that will happen,” he said.While admitting that he didn’t know when he would start work on the movie, Akhtar added, “It’s too delicious a script. There’s so much work that’s already been done on it. I finished all the location scouts, I’ve recorded music for the film, all of this is done. It’s just a matter of time before we get back and do it again.”
Priyanka, Alia and Katrina not in the cast?
However, he hinted that the original casting may no longer be locked in. Dropping hints of a possible new cast, he said, “I can’t comment on the cast anymore. Don’t know what that will be and when that will land. But, will the film happen? The film will happen.”
What Alia had to say about the film
Alia Bhatt, speaking separately to The Lallantop in October 2024, previously confirmed that ‘Jee Le Zaraa’ is still very much in play. “Definitely hogi (It will happen). It’s a film that everybody—actors, producers, director—wants to make,” she said, while admitting that aligning dates for the star-studded team has been the biggest hurdle. She explained, “Logistically, kaafi difficult ho raha tha to get all the dates together but I think agar sabke zehan mein hai aur intent mein hain toh woh film ban jayegi (It is difficult to get the dates of the key players together, but everyone has it in their mind that the film has to be made).” The film was reportedly envisioned as a female-led road trip saga in line with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’.