Kabir Khan teases reunion with Kartik Aaryan: 'I have the script, it's an exciting project'

Filmmaker Kabir Khan on Friday hinted at a potential reunion with actor Kartik Aaryan for his next directorial project.

The project would reunite Khan and Aaryan after their 2024 collaboration, "Chandu Champion", a sports drama about India's first Paralympics gold medallist Murlikant Petkar.

"We are still talking... We are still working on some ideas and in a month or so, we will be able to announce exactly what we are working on," Khan said on the sidelines of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.

"I have the script but there are so many other things that have to come in place. The actor needs to come in and his dates have to be figured out, the studio needs to come in. We are working on that... It's an exciting project," he added.

The filmmaker further said that the project is right up his alley — an exciting human interest drama.

"It is in my space, which is good, exciting human interest story and of course it has larger than life backdrop of politics, society, everything. At the end of the day, it is an exciting human story," he said.

The director, known for movies such as "Kabul Express", "New York", "Ek Tha Tiger" and "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", is also excited to join hands with producer Sameer Nair and his banner Applause Entertainment.

"Sameer and I are working on a couple of ideas and I am looking forward to that. I really respect Sameer as a person in the industry who I think has a great knack for selecting interesting stories and more importantly being able to support them.

"He goes against the grain and has proven many times with shows and films where conventional wisdom would not be towards, he goes ahead with, and makes success of it," Khan said.

At the film gala, the filmmaker is presenting "My Melbourne", an anthology film exploring diverse stories and voices shaped by the multi-cultural fabric of the Australian city.

The film features four short films from four directors — Khan, Onir, Rima Das and Imtiaz Ali — and tackles themes of diversity, sexuality, gender, disability, and race.

"The movie has already received a lot of love when it was released. It got a great response from audiences. It was released through PVR in India as well. So it's lovely to be a part of it and to come here and share it with the audience.

"IFFI is such an exciting platform. I think everybody — the I&B Ministry and the FDC — they've all done such a fabulous job of creating IFFI as a world-class platform" Khan said.

Khan believes that the film industry doesn't function on its own as the audience is a crucial part of the ecosystem.

He said people often complain that only one kind of film is being made, and that there is no space for different or unconventional stories.

"But when different cinema is made, the audience doesn't step up and support it. Of course there has to be support from exhibition space, you have to give them good shows and enough screen because only then will an audience will be able to come," Khan said.

He said smaller or unconventional films are often given only morning or afternoon slots, while most viewers prefer evening shows.

"Theatres need to make sure that showcasing is done. Give them at least one good show so that the audience can come and watch. Otherwise even if an audience wants to watch it they are unable to come. But it is a two-way thing audience needs to really support it and the exhibition space needs to give appropriate showcasing," the filmmaker added.