Jude Anthany Joseph has clarified his comments about the Hindi film he was developing with Ayushmann Khurrana following a meeting with the actor. The filmmaker took to social media to share a photograph with Ayushmann, while stressing that there was no animosity between them over the project that eventually fell through.
The clarification comes days after Jude spoke about the circumstances that led to the shelving of the proposed Hindi film. The director had revealed that the script featured a role specifically written for Mohanlal and that he had insisted the veteran Malayalam actor be part of the project. According to Jude, a disagreement over how Mohanlal was described during the casting discussions ultimately led him to walk away.
In his latest post, however, Jude made it clear that Ayushmann himself was never the source of the disagreement. “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!”
Jude also revealed that Ayushmann had been enthusiastic about the script and the proposed role for Mohanlal, making it clear that the actor was not responsible for the film failing to materialise. “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.”
Jude walked away over Mohanlal casting
Jude had previously detailed the episode in an interview with Club FM 94.3. According to the filmmaker, he had developed the complete screenplay with a character specifically written for Mohanlal, while Ayushmann had responded positively to the story.
“I had a character for Mohanlal sir in it. I had written the full script for it,” Jude said, explaining that discussions with the Hindi film team continued for six to seven months.
The filmmaker said he had made his position clear from the outset: the team would have to commit to the film with Mohanlal as part of the cast. The discussions took a turn when Jude received an email stating that the team would consider “secondary casting” depending on how the script was structured. Jude said he subsequently sought clarification on whether Mohanlal was being referred to as secondary casting and was told that this was indeed the case. That prompted him to withdraw from the project. “Then, I emailed them, saying, ‘Since you called one of the top actors in Indian cinema ‘secondary casting,’ I do not want to do a film with you.'”
The disagreement eventually escalated into communication between the respective legal teams. Jude said the agreement was ultimately cancelled, with him returning the advance and signing an NDA.
Ayushmann says he hopes to work with Jude
Ayushmann responded warmly to Jude’s clarification, reiterating his admiration for both the filmmaker and Mohanlal. “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.”
The exchange effectively puts to rest any suggestion of a rift between Jude and Ayushmann, while also highlighting the filmmaker’s longstanding admiration for Mohanlal.
Jude is currently receiving attention for Thudakkam, which features Mohanlal in a key role alongside newcomers Vismaya Mohanlal and Aashish Joe Antony. The film marks the acting debuts of Vismaya, Mohanlal’s daughter, and Aashish, the son of producer Antony Perumbavoor.
Also Read: One of The Greatest Storytellers of Our Times: Anupam Kher Praises Sooraj Barjatya
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
