Pakistani actor Imran Abbas is a well-known name here in the country as well as across the border in India. The actor made his Bollywood debut in 2014 in Creature 3D, alongside Bipasha Basu. He then also made a special appearance in Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Hai Mushkil, which also starred Fawad Khan.
However, while a ban on Pakistani actors working in India in 2016 cut short their careers, artists on both sides of the border continue to collaborate.
According to a report in Gulf Times, a Mumbai-based, indie filmmaker Abhinav Shiv Tiwari has reached out to Abbas for the lead role in his next. Tiwari is best known for X: Past Is Present (2015), a film that was a unique collaboration of eleven directors. Provided, of course, India removes the ban on Pakistani artists.
However, Imran has not commented on the matter and it is not sure whether Abbas would be interested in a low-profile, small-budget project. Self-confessedly choosy, the 37-year-old earlier declined Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romantic saga Guzaarish (2010) because he felt his role was not significant enough (later played by Aditya Roy Kapur).
He has said on record that he made an exception for Ae Dil… because it was a Dharma Productions film that was helmed by “my favourite director” Karan Johar.
Apart from Creature 3D and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Imran was also part of Muzaffar Ali’s period film, Anjuman.
Earlier this year in May, Imran also revealed that he has signed a British feature film, titled The Trojan Horse. The Hollywood production will see him play a spy of Syrian-Morrocan descent. However, Abbas did not share further details about the film and his co-stars. However, he said that the film will begin shooting this year and will be shot at multiple locations including the UK, Europe and Turkey.
