Imran Khan’s surprise return in Happy Patel is driven by joy, not stardom!

After nearly a decade away from the spotlight, Imran Khan has quietly stepped back onto the big screen with a cameo in Happy Patel. For the actor, this return isn’t about reclaiming box-office glory, it’s about rediscovering joy.

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A Slow Reconnection with Cinema

Over the last two years, Imran carefully evaluated multiple scripts, but none excited him enough to say yes. That changed when Happy Patel came along, the directorial debut of his close friend and Delhi Belly co-star, Vir Das.

"In late 2023, when I started reemerging from my hibernation, and connecting with the world, people said, 'Hey, this guy is alive' and started reaching out. My approach at this point is very different from what it was back then,” the actor told PTI.

Redefining Success on His Own Terms

Imran made it clear that ambition means something very different to him today. He said, “Not everybody wants the same thing from their careers. Everyone's got different paths that they're seeking. I'm not seeking to build myself into a very big star, to be the biggest star or to be in the top three. Unless I love the film and really want to make it, I won't... I will only make a film if I feel FOMO” 

Financially secure and creatively content, the rom-com star now prioritises comfort, camaraderie and creative alignment over commercial pressure.

Filmmaking as Play, Not Pressure

Reflecting on why he entered cinema in the first place, Imran described moviemaking as an act of friendship and fun.

"The reason that I ever made films was to play with my friends. We get a bunch of friendly people together, we paint our faces, we put on costumes and we play . That's how I see moviemaking. Not to take away from how seriously one takes the thing, but creating art must come from a place of love and joy,” said Imran.

FOMO That Led to a Cameo

When Imran heard that Vir Das and Mithila Palkar were collaborating on a quirky spy comedy, curiosity turned into fear of missing out.

Imran recalled, "I'd not heard a narration or a script, it's the buzz that I was getting from my friends. I was struck with FOMO. I was like, ‘Guys, you're all doing this fun thing. Can I also come along and have fun with you guys?'

That impulse led him to text Vir directly. 

"I texted Vir saying, ‘I would love to be in your film, can you include me somewhere?’. So, he wrote me a part, which was not in the original script and said, ‘Let's have some fun'," shared Imran.

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A Quirky Reunion on Screen

Happy Patel, a zany spy comedy released in theatres on Friday, reunites Imran with Vir Das after Delhi Belly and with Mithila Palkar after Katti Batti. Imran appears as Milind Morea, an international supermodel. Though the team hoped to keep his cameo under wraps, the secret didn’t last long.

Unexpected Attention After a Quiet Hiatus

The 43-year-old admitted he was caught off guard by the buzz his brief appearance generated.

Imran said, “It's all a lot more than one would have imagined. When you consider all of the conventional wisdom that tells you that you must make great efforts to stay in people's consciousness and to stay relevant, you’ve to reach out and grab them and hold their attention.” 

“Again, because up until this moment, it's not like I had suddenly made a great film that everyone was appreciating, ‘Oh, what a wonderful film, what great acting is’, it's none of that. People responded a lot more than ,” added Imran.

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Stepping Away After Setbacks

Imran revealed that repeated box-office disappointments, including Katti Batti and Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, prompted his long break from acting.

“...At first, you've that feeling, ‘Oh, no, my film has flopped’. I had made the films with love and with friends. I enjoyed the process," he added.