Imran Zahid talks about 15-year-wait to play solo hero with Ab Dilli Dur Nahin: 'You can never lose hope' | Exclusive

Imran Zahid has been part of the entertainment industry for over a decade and a half. The actor has worked in films like Jism 2 and Marksheet and has been very active in the theatre circuit for almost 15 years now. And now finally, he is appearing in his first film in a lead role – Ab Dilli Dur Nahin. Ahead of the film’s release, the actor talks with DNA about his struggles, the decision to release the film in theatres, and expectations from it.

Ab Dilli Dur Nahin is a small film that tells the story of an IAS aspirant from Bihar and his trials and tribulations. Talking about the film, Imran says, “We are beginners, and when you start as nobodies, you get only one shot to come and make your mark. It’s a chance whether the film clicks with the audience and works. Fifty such films release every year. We felt that this could work. Of course, I can never be sure because there is no formula to this.”

The film may be a low budget one but it is getting noticed. The billboards are everywhere and the trailer and song have a combined 2 million views on YouTube, healthy numbers for a film of this scale. “When I was young, living in Bokaro, we used to watch films on a giant screen. Now, I see that there are posters and hoardings of my film with my face on it in my city, it seems unreal. I have done work in theatre and films but that dream of solo hero is something else,” says Imran.

Imran was first noticed by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt in 2007 and has worked closely with the director over the years, appearing in his films and also adapting his films into plays. It took him almost 16 years since then to get that solo hero gig. Ask him how he stayed on course and the actor responds, “You can never lose hope and positivity in your struggle. You need to keep a positive frame of mind and stay at your work. You can go through a tough phase at any point in time. Bollywood is so uncertain. You can clear civil services after writing an exam but in Bollywood, there is no such exam.”

Directed by Kamal Chandra, Ab Dilli Dur Nahin also stars Shruti Sodhi, an actress who is making her Hindi language debut having worked in Punjabi and Telugu cinema. Releasing this film in theatres over OTT is a gamble indeed. But one that Imran justifies. “We took this film to a big distributor, a cinema chain and they liked it and asked us to send two posters of the film. In a few days, I saw the posters of our film in that chain across India. To see our posters in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, it increases your confidence level,” he says.

The film releases in theatres on May 12 and the actor is optimistic about its chances with the audience. “I see people connecting to this film. We have a scene in the trailer where my character shaves off his moustache after the girl asks him. I went to Patna to screen the trailer for students there and a boy there told me that the character shouldn’t have done that. When you see people relating to your character, your story, you get your hopes up. It is an inspiring story that motivates people,” he says.