‘I feel extremely bad’: Kangana Ranaut opts out of mentor Anurag Basu’s ‘Imali’ for this reason

Anurag Basu’s contribution to Kangana Ranaut’s career is well-known. The filmmaker gave a young Kangana her big break with ‘Gangster' in 2006. The duo then worked on the critically acclaimed ‘Life In a... Metro’ and ‘Kites’ and were gearing up to collaborate for the fourth time on ‘Imali’. However, the reunion after nine years will take longer since the actress has opted out of the movie. The ‘Fashion’ star has cited her focus on her full-fledged directorial debut as the reason for the same but hopes to work with her mentor again. 

READ: This Actress Is Not Pleased About Kangana Ranaut Playing Jayalalitha, Says One Of The South Stars Would’ve Been A Better Choice

Kangana was to work with Rajkummar Rao in 'Imali', reportedly a love story, after ‘Queen’ and the upcoming ‘Mental Hai Kya’.

The movie was to go on floors in November last year, but got delayed when the actress had to step in to direct ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’. 

"Anurag and I have spoken about it. I feel extremely bad because 'Imali' was giving me an opportunity to work with my mentor again, but I'm on the verge of announcing my own film in a few weeks from now. That has taken a lot of my time and I have conveyed it to Anurag, who understood my situation," Kangana said in a statement. 

"We will work together at some point. 'Imali' is a beautiful love story and we can do that later. But right now, my focus is on my next directorial venture."  

READ: Anurag Basu Reacts To Parineeti Chopra Opting Out Of 'Life In A Metro' Sequel, Says 'When Was She In'

Anurag is currently helming a multi-starrer on the lines ‘Metro’ starring Rajkummar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapur, and also reportedly Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, among others. Kangana is shooting for ‘Mental Hai Kya’ and is prepping for movies like Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s ‘Panga’ and the J Jayalalitha biopic ‘Thalaivi.’