Imran Khan, last seen in the 2015 film Katti Batti, has spoken about his decision of leaving the film industry. In an interview with Film Companion, Imran spoke about the disconnect he felt between his love for movies and the industry's focus on commercial successes.
Imran highlighted the importance of box office figures and how important they are for the growth of the industry. However, he said that he is not comfortable with the ecosystem surrounding actors, wherein things like PR, management and even appearances are viewed in monetary terms.
Imran told Anupama Chopra that he feels the constant obsession with money proves to be an obstacle in the artistic aspects of filmmaking.
Imran added that while his film career provided him a security, the failure of Katti Batti and other factors led him to take a break from acting. "I never said, ‘Okay, on this day, I’m done, I quit.’ It was kind of a process of a week becoming a month, a month becoming three and becoming a year, and a year becoming two where I said, ‘Okay, I won’t do this because my heart’s not in it," the actor told Film Companion.
He elaborated, "Effectively I spent my 20s, working and building and setting up a career. In my 30s, that ended up not being the thing that I felt like focusing on. Life took me in another direction. These past 10 years I have spent kind of grappling with the larger questions of who am I, what do I want to do, what do I want to be. A series of life circumstances led me to a place where I was not getting the fulfilment.”
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