Dear Farhan,
It’s wonderful to see you so happy life. That you’ve found love again is a rare blessing and one that only the Chosen Few are privy to. Look at your one-time nextdoor neighbour at Bandra Bandstand. Rekha is still solitary and single. Your life is filled with the laughter of family and friends.
So why then have you stopped doing what you are best at? No, not acting. I am talking about directing a film. When would you return to direction? It’s been ten years—yes, 10!!!—since you directed film . Don 2, though underwhelming (and we had a heated argument when I called it an “arrogant” sequel) showed your true calling card.
I still believe you are first and foremost a film director, singing and acting come later. Your directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai remains a milestone. For years you have been toying with the idea of re-uniting the three friends Akash, Sameer and Siddharth. Getting Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna to re-unite should be no problem for you.Even Dimple Kapadia from the original cast is game.
So what’s the problem? Script? That, your father will take care of in a jiffy.There must be some great advantages for a filmmaker to have Javed Akhtar as his father. Come to think of it, even he is not doing much work lately. I’d love to see the two of you reunite for either a sequel to Dil Chahta Hai or another Don film.
Javed Saab told me he had a germ of an idea for a third Don film. I suspect the idea didn’t fructify because you were too busy acting. Between 2008(when you turned actor with Rock On) and 2019(when you did The Sky Is Pink) you have faced the camera in 13 films but directed just one.
That’s fairly lopsided, don’t you think? I agree, you make an affable actor. But I insist your calling in life is neither singing nor acting. When do we see you return to doing what you are born to? Imagine if Kishore Kumar had chosen to sing just one song in 11 years and instead faced the camera 13 times during that period? Imagine if Virat Kohli suddenly developed a passion for football. It may be what he would want to do. But it’s not what we would want him to do.
When you are a celebrity , you have a responsibility towards your fans that supersedes your own desires. This is why an actor with a sweet tooth can never finish off a box of laddoos. It may do great things to his palate. But it won’t go down well with his fans. Selfindulgence is for ordinary people. Not for you, Farhan. Do surprise us by doing what your Lakshya is in life and not what your Dil Chahta Hai.
Sincerely
Subhash K Jha
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