Mohanlal ‘Secondary Casting’ Row: Jude Anthany Says Ayushmann Khurrana Was ‘Not At Fault’

Jude Anthany Joseph has now cleared the air around the controversy involving his shelved Hindi film, which was planned with Ayushmann Khurrana and Mohanlal. Jude had earlier revealed that he left the project after Mohanlal was reportedly referred to as ‘secondary casting’ during discussions. His comments quickly became a talking point, with some speculation also surrounding Ayushmann’s position in the project. However, the director has now made it clear that Ayushmann had nothing to do with the issue.

Jude Anthany recently met Ayushmann Khurrana and used the occasion to address the confusion surrounding their proposed Hindi film. The filmmaker shared a picture with the actor and explained that Ayushmann was actually excited about the script and the possibility of having Mohanlal in the film.

Jude said Ayushmann was happy when he heard about the script featuring Mohanlal. He also stressed that the actor was not responsible for the project falling through. The director said he was glad to finally meet Ayushmann and praised his talent, adding that he hoped they could collaborate in the future.

Ayushmann responded to Jude’s post by saying that he was a fan of the director’s work and hoped to work with him soon. He also made his feelings about Mohanlal clear, calling him a legend and writing, “I hope I’m worthy enough to share screen space with him someday.”

Jude had initially included a more direct clarification in his social media post, saying that his comments about Mohanlal were aimed at the producer and had nothing to do with Ayushmann. That particular line was later removed from the edited version of the post.

The controversy began after Jude Anthany spoke about a Bollywood project he had planned with Ayushmann Khurrana and  . The filmmaker said the script was written keeping both actors in mind, with Ayushmann expected to play the main role and a substantial part created specifically for Mohanlal.

According to Jude, discussions with the production team continued for around six or seven months without the project moving ahead. He eventually told the makers that he wanted a firm commitment to Mohanlal being part of the film before proceeding further with the project.

Jude claimed that the response from the production side left him surprised. He said the team indicated that Mohanlal’s casting would be considered only under what they described as ‘secondary casting’.

The director did not agree with that approach and decided to leave the film. He reportedly returned the advance he had received and signed a non-disclosure agreement to close the matter.