Farhan Akhtar Says He Wasted Two Years Waiting For Jee Le Zaraa, Says Delay Hit His Confidence
Farhan Akhtar, who is currently invested in the theatrical run of his latest release 120 Bahadur, has remained distant from the director’s chair for over a decade. His last film as a filmmaker was Don 2 (2011) with Shah Rukh Khan, and although he has since announced two major projects—Jee Le Zaraa and Don 3—only the latter appears to be moving forward. In a recent interview, Farhan finally addressed why Jee Le Zaraa has been stalled and revealed that he spent more than two years waiting for the film to take off, only for it to remain stuck. Farhan Akhtar on Jee Le Zaraa's delay Speaking on the YouTube show Unfiltered by Samdish, Farhan reflected on how the prolonged uncertainty around Jee Le Zaraa impacted his mental well-being. Recalling the time right after Toofan released in 2021, he said, “So my film Toofan was released in 2021, and right after that, I was set to direct a film called Jee Le Zara. It just kept getting delayed, and for those two years, I kept saying no to all other opportunities that came my way. I did that because when you have to direct you can only focus on that. If an acting role came, I told them, ‘No, I am soon going to be directing’.” The film—originally announced with Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif—never went beyond the announcement stage. Farhan admitted he kept adjusting his schedule around the project, only for nothing to materialise. “The date for the film’s shooting just kept shifting ahead. It was such a stressful period because I thought that I was wasting time, and before I knew it, two and a half years had gone by,” he said. Jee Le Zaraa's delay triggered Farhan's insecurities The director confessed that the wait also triggered deep-rooted insecurities. After more than a decade without a directorial release, he began doubting whether the industry still believed in his abilities. Farhan shared, “There are some personal insecurities as well. I started feeling that maybe people thought that I wouldn’t be able to direct. It had been 12 years since I had directed a film, and maybe people were doubtful of my skill. When you sit with a therapist and you tell these things, you start realising where all these things are coming from. I didn’t want to say, ‘Let me move on from this film.’” Though the makers—including Farhan, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti—have cited scheduling conflicts as the primary reason for the setbacks, the project remains in limbo. Even Reema’s 2023 update suggesting the film would begin by the end of that year did not pan out. Farhan moves on to Don 3 With Jee Le Zaraa no longer on the immediate horizon, Farhan has shifted his focus to Don 3, headlined by Ranveer Singh. The filmmaker, known for Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya, is finally returning to direction—albeit not with the film he waited years to make.
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Farhan Akhtar, who is currently invested in the theatrical run of his latest release 120 Bahadur, has remained distant from the director’s chair for over a decade. His last film as a filmmaker was Don 2 (2011) with Shah Rukh Khan, and although he has since announced two major projects—Jee Le Zaraa and Don 3—only the latter appears to be moving forward.
In a recent interview, Farhan finally addressed why Jee Le Zaraa has been stalled and revealed that he spent more than two years waiting for the film to take off, only for it to remain stuck.
Farhan Akhtar on Jee Le Zaraa's delay
Speaking on the YouTube show Unfiltered by Samdish, Farhan reflected on how the prolonged uncertainty around Jee Le Zaraa impacted his mental well-being. Recalling the time right after Toofan released in 2021, he said, “So my film Toofan was released in 2021, and right after that, I was set to direct a film called Jee Le Zara. It just kept getting delayed, and for those two years, I kept saying no to all other opportunities that came my way. I did that because when you have to direct you can only focus on that. If an acting role came, I told them, ‘No, I am soon going to be directing’.”
The film—originally announced with Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif—never went beyond the announcement stage. Farhan admitted he kept adjusting his schedule around the project, only for nothing to materialise.
“The date for the film’s shooting just kept shifting ahead. It was such a stressful period because I thought that I was wasting time, and before I knew it, two and a half years had gone by,” he said.
Jee Le Zaraa's delay triggered Farhan's insecurities
The director confessed that the wait also triggered deep-rooted insecurities. After more than a decade without a directorial release, he began doubting whether the industry still believed in his abilities.
Farhan shared, “There are some personal insecurities as well. I started feeling that maybe people thought that I wouldn’t be able to direct. It had been 12 years since I had directed a film, and maybe people were doubtful of my skill. When you sit with a therapist and you tell these things, you start realising where all these things are coming from. I didn’t want to say, ‘Let me move on from this film.’”
Though the makers—including Farhan, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti—have cited scheduling conflicts as the primary reason for the setbacks, the project remains in limbo. Even Reema’s 2023 update suggesting the film would begin by the end of that year did not pan out.
Farhan moves on to Don 3
With Jee Le Zaraa no longer on the immediate horizon, Farhan has shifted his focus to Don 3, headlined by Ranveer Singh. The filmmaker, known for Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya, is finally returning to direction—albeit not with the film he waited years to make.
