Posted by New Delhi: After a hiatus of 14 years since Dulha Mil Gaya, Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan is ready to make his comeback on-screen with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-anticipated historical drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The actor had taken a break to focus on his health and family. In a recent interview, he revealed how he landed the role of Wali Mohammed in the Netflix original series.
How did Fardeen Khan land a role in SLB’s Heeramandi?
In a candid chat with News18, Fardeen disclosed the serendipitous way he caught the attention of the show’s casting director, Shruti Mahajan. “I was spotted at an award function by Shruti Mahajan, who has closely worked with Mr Bhansali over the years. I don’t know whether she was there or she saw me on television, but she thought that I would suit the character of Wali,” he reminisced.
Despite his long absence from the camera, Fardeen didn’t have to go through any audition process. SLB was impressed from their very first meeting. “20 minutes into the meeting, Mr Bhansali came along to take a look at me. We had met previously too. And when he was convinced, he agreed to do a look test. I couldn’t believe my luck. I was just so grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
When Sanjay Leela Bhansali rang up Fardeen Khan
Following the look test, the Ram Leela filmmaker personally called him to deliver the good news. “He wasn’t there during my look test. My pictures were sent to him and then I got a call from him. He said, ‘Congratulations, you’re Wali Mohammed!’ It was exciting and nerve-wrecking as I hadn’t been on a set for a long time,” Fardeen expressed with excitement.
Fardeen Khan praises Sonakshi Sinha
Heeramandi marks the first time Fardeen will share the screen with Sonakshi Sinha. Although their fathers, late Firoz Khan and Shatrughan Sinha, shared a friendly equation, Fardeen admitted they didn’t know each other well before the series. “There’s an age gap between us. We only knew of each other and bumped into one another at different occasions and greeted with a ‘hi’ or a ‘hello’,” he clarified.
However, Fardeen praised Sonakshi’s professionalism and personality. “I got to know her well during the making of Heeramandi, and it was nice to get to know her a bit. She’s a chilled-out, fun, and interesting person, very easy to get along with. We have scuba diving in common. She has done such a good job in this show and had a lot of fun with her role, and she owned it,” he added.
Heeramandi release date
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is set to premiere on May 1 and fans are eagerly awaiting Fardeen Khan’s comeback in this highly anticipated series.