Director Jude Anthany Joseph has clarified his recent remarks about Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana and their shelved film, stressing that his comments regarding Malayalam superstar Mohanlal were directed at the project’s producer and were not aimed at Ayushmann.
Jude addressed the matter after meeting Ayushmann and sharing a photograph with the actor on social media. In his post, the filmmaker sought to clear up any misunderstanding surrounding his earlier comments about the project, which had reportedly fallen through because of a disagreement involving Mohanlal’s role.
“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 wrote.
Jude had recently revealed that he walked away from the proposed project after the producer objected to his insistence on having Mohanlal as part of the film. According to the director, the producer’s response, which included referring to Mohanlal as a “secondary actor”, did not sit well with him and ultimately led him to back out of the project.
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Jude also made it clear that Ayushmann had been enthusiastic about the script and was supportive of the idea of sharing the screen with Mohanlal. He stressed that the actor was not responsible for the project 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 added.
Ayushmann responded warmly to Jude’s clarification, expressing his admiration for the director’s work while also highlighting his respect for 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,” Ayushmann wrote in response.
The exchange appears to have put to rest any speculation about tension between the two actors and filmmakers. Both Jude and Ayushmann have now indicated that they remain open to collaborating in the future.
Meanwhile, Jude Anthany Joseph’s latest release, ‘Thudakkam’, features Mohanlal alongside debutants Vismaya Mohanlal and Aashish Joe Antony. Vismaya is Mohanlal’s daughter, while Aashish is the son of producer Antony Perumbavoor.
The film marks the acting debut of both Vismaya and Aashish and brings Mohanlal together with the two newcomers in Jude’s latest directorial venture.
