Mahir Pandhi is an actor who is quietly but surely making his presence felt in the entertainment world. In a recent candid conversation, he spoke about the heartbreak of ‘Takht’ getting shelved and much more. In August 2019, Karan Johar announced a big film called ‘Takht’ with a very famous cast. The film included Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Janhvi Kapoor, and was being made on a budget of Rs 250 crore.
Mahir Pandhi says COVID and rising budget killed ‘Takht’
In a conversation with Mid-day, Mahir shed light on the real reasons behind ‘Takht’ getting shelved. “Takht was not a normal film. It was Mr. Yash Johar’s last dream project and had a historic connection to it. When you write a script based on history, you can’t change the facts. Once COVID happened, it became extremely difficult to bring together so many actors and align their dates,” he said. Mahir also revealed that the budget had crossed Rs 200 crore, making it hard for the makers to arrange funds. He further added, “Even if you wanted to plan it two years later, it would have been impossible to get the entire cast together. And if you make Takht today, you would have to rewrite the script from scratch because the audience has changed.”
Mahir Pandhi says ‘Takht’ getting shelved was deeply personal for him
For Mahir, ‘Takht’ getting shelved was not just a professional setback, it was deeply personal. Being associated with a Dharma Productions biggie had been nothing short of a dream, and the film had even started opening new doors for him in the industry. “I was almost living that dream. I was being invited to parties, and they made me feel welcome. I was made to feel like a part of the film. If I look back, only I know how difficult it was to accept the fact that a Dharma film was not going to happen for me,” he shared emotionally.
Mahir Pandhi reveals he was typecast as a terrorist in his early days
The actor also looked back at his early days in the industry and spoke about how his appearance became a hurdle for him. He revealed that he was often typecast and turned away for looking a certain way. “Initially, it was a major factor. Because of my eyes, face, and facial features, I was often considered only for the typical Kashmiri character or a terrorist. Those were the categories I was usually being slotted into,” he said.
