Bandra Fort looks great, but that feeling of mystery & romance isn’t there now: Imran Khan

Mumbai’s iconic Bandra Fort holds many special memories for Imran Khan, who filmed several scenes of his debut film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008) at the location. The actor took a stroll down memory lane as he joined us for an exclusive shoot at the famous landmark, which was revamped and reopened. Walking along the fort area, with its garden that now has exotic trees, an amphitheatre area and more, the Bandra boy couldn’t help getting nostalgic and recalling memories associated with place.

‘It felt so organic for our characters in Jaane Tu… to hang around here’Imran recalled, “My memories go way back before Jaane Tu. When I was 15-16, I used to hang around here with my friends, and at that time this area was desolate. There was just a juice centre here where we would have sandwiches and vada pav, but there were barely any crowds. There would be some questionable folks hiding in the bushes, and we were told not to visit this area. So, there was a sense of adventure each time we came here. When Abbas (Tyrewala) wanted to shoot the film here, it hit home for a lot of us, as even Genelia (Deshmukh) is a Bandra girl. It was our backyard, which is why it felt so organic for our characters to hang around here.” Imran also recalled that the Bandra Fort was converted into a mela for a song sequence in Milan Luthria’s Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!

‘I miss the feeling of quiet this area had earlier’Speaking about how he has seen the area he has lived in all his life change, the actor says, “It’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the place is cleaned up, and there are promenades and street lighting, which make it look great. Now it looks like a park-complex, however, that feeling of mystery and romance doesn’t exist. There was a charm to the old relic. But during my teenage years, Carter Road was a backroad that no one used. You could sit there any time of the day as it was always deserted. I miss that feeling of quiet, today Bandra is the central hub of the city.”

‘If Imara wants to go to a public park, we have to plan it in a certain way’Imran says his one regret is that he can’t take his daughter Imara to the places he enjoyed as a child. He says at one point he had to have a talk with Imara and explain the situation to her. “She would wonder why people are following our car, so I gradually explained to her that I acted in some movies, so people recognise me. When you have these conversations with a child, you realise how bizarre the situation is. Once you become an actor, part of the contract is that you can no longer wander into public spaces like anyone else. That is an experience I regret not being able to give to my child. If she wants to go to a public park, we have to plan it in a certain way because sometimes people don’t have a sense of consideration around a little child, their excitement of seeing a famous person overrides everything.”

Photos: Tejas Kudtarkar


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