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Do you think PM Imran Khan could make it in Bollywood? Dev Anand did

Do you think PM Imran Khan could make it in Bollywood? Dev Anand did

Anand apparently turned up at IK's flat in London trying to convince him to act in his directorial, Awwal Number.
02 Jan, 2020

In a rare find, an old interview of PM Imran Khan from November 2006 is making the rounds on Twitter.

Hosted by Prannoy Lal Roy, Indian journalist and media personality, NDTV's 'India Questions' invited celebrities, sports personalities, and industry leaders to be questioned by the audience and host on various topics —and the topics can range from movies, art and sports to politics, history and culture, apart from anecdotal stories from their personal lives.

But it was this one little clip that caught everyone's attention: our very own Prime Minister could've been a Bollywood movie star in another time and in another life.

Prompted by the audience, Roy asks Khan: "Why don't you join Bollywood? Have you ever been asked?"

And with a coquettish grin, Khan replied, "You won't believe it, I was asked by one great Indian actor who we all used to look up to. Who in fact, even turned up in England to ask me to act in a film. But you know I was puzzled." Curiosity took the better of the audience and in the backdrop of 'who? who?' Khan continues, "I won't name him because it would be embarrassing."

On the insistence of Roy, Khan finally gives the audience a name: "It was Dev Anand." Amidst applause, Khan continued: " But for me, it's strange. Just because I'm playing cricket, how can I become an actor? It makes no sense to me. In fact, Ismael Merchant once asked me to act in a film. But again, I was always puzzled, how can I act? I couldn't even act in a school play, forget about going into films."

Yet, the audience and the host agreed on one thing: "Khan looked good enough to act in a Bollywood film."

This was first revealed in Anand's biography, Romancing with Life, published in 2007.

Good looks or not, we think acting requires one to hone their skill and craft and eventually go beyond mere looks; the best actors are those who are able to manipulate their looks for an insight into a character's worldview.

One thing's clear, If PM Khan was in a Bollywood movie, it would probably work in his favour than against, on either side of the border.

Comments

Riaz Mahar Jan 02, 2020 04:19pm
Anybody can act but to act well is what only few can do.
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Khurram Bashir Jan 02, 2020 04:35pm
PM IK in his younger days was clearly the best known celebrity of the subcontinent...whether he could act or not is a different thing...but in my opinion the movie would have been a super hit..
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kilo tiger Jan 02, 2020 04:49pm
Dev Anand saab, may his soul rests in eternal peace, had a great sense of humour
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oldhabibian Jan 02, 2020 05:00pm
And we are all so happy he declined! Look how they treated Mohsin Khan.
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Zak Jan 02, 2020 05:02pm
Why such frivolous questions. IK is too big a personality to be associated with cheap production companies.
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prince Jan 02, 2020 05:06pm
IK denied actor role, and later join politix which is nothing but acting
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Rizwan Jan 02, 2020 05:26pm
He does not need to. He would not have attempted for the life of his. Why should he.
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AZAM AKBAR Jan 02, 2020 05:33pm
@Khurram Bashir Mr. Khurram Bashir, I also think so.
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Anurag Awasthi Jan 02, 2020 05:34pm
@Khurram Bashir True. The movie would do great business at that time .But politics requires more acting.
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Sam Jan 02, 2020 05:36pm
B'se of look, he can't become an actor. Thank god, he has selected cricket, which is good for him. We have to select the profession, which suits to us...
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Fatima Jan 02, 2020 05:40pm
As a politician, IK is the best actor there is in Pakistan today. He played cricket. How could he be a politician? That should have crossed his mind too.
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Ali zaidi Jan 02, 2020 05:58pm
IK made the right decision. Bollywood is way way below his stature
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Mark Jan 02, 2020 06:14pm
But finally he did act n became PM of Pakistan. Now Pakistan is paying for it.
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rsultan Jan 02, 2020 06:22pm
How can he be the PM? Similar to his denial on becoming an actor.
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Saad Jan 02, 2020 06:25pm
The same way a cricketer becomes a politician over night
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thinking Jan 02, 2020 06:28pm
Khan looked good enough to act in a Bollywood film. This is why most people want to become actors. Sad Prannoy Lal Roy also believes that acting skills are not required
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Fastrack Jan 02, 2020 07:05pm
Easily the most handsome man of modern times.
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babban Jan 02, 2020 07:10pm
Nice job by Dawn. to print such article at this time. IK used to have a huge fan following in India in those days. People still adore him for his charm. On the lighter side, he should have taken the Bollywood offer instead of entering Politics of "U' turns
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Yogi Jan 02, 2020 07:32pm
Who's have imagined that he'd turn out to be a big political actor.
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Shaleen Jan 02, 2020 07:43pm
Imran Khan has Mongol looks (combination of Yuvraj Singh and Danny Denzogappa) which can get you debut but not good enough for long term.
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Israr Khan IsmailZai Jan 02, 2020 07:50pm
IK no doubt is the sexiest cricketer ever.
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Isac Jan 02, 2020 07:58pm
@Khurram Bashir agree
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Naveed Jan 02, 2020 08:28pm
He could have made it to Hollywood or Bollywood if he ever wanted. But decided to make it to Prime-wood and that is where he is!
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Chughtai RS Jan 02, 2020 08:36pm
He would have made a great 007.
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Apoorva Bahuguna Jan 02, 2020 08:39pm
Overhyped !!! He could have played Mogambo though
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Ijaz Jan 02, 2020 08:45pm
Shame he didn't go into entertainment industry, then we would now be spared his erratic and incompetent governance
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Saira Jan 02, 2020 08:48pm
He is even now by far the best known person of the subcontinent, admired and respected!
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Eaterrr Jan 02, 2020 08:52pm
The great Dev Anand knew talent when he saw one. PMIK could have done it but was busy with cricket.
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Zeeshan Ahmed Jan 02, 2020 09:03pm
Forget Indian cinema, PM Khan is Hollywood material.
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Ash Jan 02, 2020 09:40pm
Even today at the age of 65 plus, IK has charisma to achieve towering heights both in Bollywood and Hollywood!!
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Cris Dan Jan 02, 2020 09:45pm
Wow. Our IK was very very dashing and smashing in his early days.
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Babar Azam Jan 02, 2020 10:53pm
IK started acting only after he joined politics.
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Naqi Jan 02, 2020 11:40pm
Yes, after his miserable performance as the PM of the country, he ought to give a Bollywood a try.
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nazk Jan 02, 2020 11:48pm
"Just because I'm playing cricket, how can I become an actor? It makes no sense to me. " Kaash you had applied the same principle to politics. A cricketer-turned-politician had destroyed Pakistan's economy in just 1 year.
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Murtaza Jan 02, 2020 11:56pm
IK - you should have tried acting and failed. We would have been spared the IK of PTI.
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Rehman Jan 02, 2020 11:58pm
I wish he had taken the offer of acting in Bollywood. Bollywood would have gained a popular actor, and on the other hand, Pakistan would have been saved from a disastrous PM. It would have been a win-win situation all around.
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Ravin Jan 03, 2020 12:02am
Nothing lost. Politics made him a better actor than he could ever imagine.
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N abidai Jan 03, 2020 12:47am
Imran khan persona is bigger then any BW actor,because he is real,and created real realities ,from cancer hospital,to universities, and build up the image of Muslims ,way bigger then delusional BW!
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Prakash Jan 03, 2020 12:56am
Khurram fully agree
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Amarnath Jan 03, 2020 12:58am
"I was always puzzled, how can I act? I couldn't even act in a school play, forget about going into films." Khan seemed oblivious to the fact that Bollywood does not need artists who can act......good looks will do. There is a reason why more than 95% of B'wood product is junk.
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Tejinder Pal Singh Jan 03, 2020 01:22am
He is a good actor, rewind and look how the poor gullible masses believed all his promises made on containers!
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Yasir Jan 03, 2020 01:24am
@Mark - True. Pakistan is paying for sure, but this time there is a strong hope of getting returns.
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FinMan Jan 03, 2020 01:28am
Dev Anand was a vosinory person who sensed the acting skill of IK. But like always, IK was confused and opted politics. IK could have won the Oscar for his great acting skill that he will not get in politics. He is yet awwal number actor as PM
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Naan Thamizhan Jan 03, 2020 02:12am
@Fatima Politics is not a profession but a service. Anyone can join. But acting is not.....
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Hemant Jan 03, 2020 03:02am
He is born actor, he still acts well whenever he take u turns...
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Salim Badruddin Jan 03, 2020 03:08am
Imran Khan is good looking, cool,cute, smart and of course intelligent. He is more suited as PM then an actor. Bollywood can keep their own actors and movies.
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Salman Jan 03, 2020 03:18am
IK has achieved more than an actor could dream of. Good that he declined
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Shailesh Jan 03, 2020 03:43am
I did not know that acting skills were required to be in Bollywood. Nowadays most of the crap is copied, I mean inspired from the West. Pretty bad. Nothing against dev Saab and others of his generation. At least it was authentic then.
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B-fitting Jan 03, 2020 04:09am
@babban:Yes, ands then he could change channels as actors a play roles without real world accountability---accept his acting abilities!
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DLSastry Jan 03, 2020 05:24am
Well, he is already acting in politics...
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S.Ahmad Washington D.C. Jan 03, 2020 06:11am
Considering his role as PM he would have succeeded as actor.
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Jamil Soomro, New York City Jan 03, 2020 06:46am
He would have fitted only in Punjabi Movies of India because of his Punjabi accent.To be a Dilip Kumar you have to have an impeccable Urdu accent and diction.
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Queen Jan 03, 2020 08:09am
Anyone can act in Bollywood from what we have seen...
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khan Jan 03, 2020 08:47am
Wish he had joined the film line, we would have been spared the misery that we are in today.
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Katt Jan 03, 2020 12:43pm
Since when is making it in Bollywood a measure of anything?
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Umesh Jan 03, 2020 04:08pm
@Zak I felt your response to be cheap. I have no objection to keep IK on a high pedastal, but to look down a profession, for no reason, is being ignorant.
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Aamer Jan 04, 2020 12:51pm
Thank God Imran Khan didn't join the film industry, especially Dev Anands film. His career would have ended up like Anita Ayub. Dev Anands movies were not worth it.
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