Farhad Samji on Sajid Khan’s suspension: Still don’t know how to react

Writer-director Farhad Samji talks about how he was asked to direct Housefull 4 overnight by producer Sajid Nadiadwala and actor Akshay Kumar. He also hopes that he will be able to do justice to the film.

Soon after filmmaker Sajid Khan faced #metoo allegations from multiple women in October this year, he lost out on a major project that he was directing — Housefull 4. In no time, writer-director Farhad Samji, who had directed the third installment in the franchise, took over the film. Later, the matter was being investigated by the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and following their verdict earlier in December, Sajid has been suspended from the association for a year.

Writer and director Farhad Samji is currently busy with his next Bollywood film Housefull 4.

Read| Me Too: IFTDA suspends filmmaker Sajid Khan over complaints of sexual harassment

Farhad, who is busy with the film, is hopeful that he will live up to the expectations. Talking about Sajid’s suspension from IFTDA, Farhad says many “unexpected” things happened in the last few weeks. “#Metoo is a very sensitive issue and has taken the [film] industry by storm. Many unexpected things happened and like others, I still don’t know how should I react to it. In 12 hours, I was asked to take up Housefull 4 and [Sajid] Nadiadwala sir and Akshay [Kumar] sir had the faith in me, so I decided to take it up as a challenge. I hope I live up to the expectation,” he says.

Farhad had worked with Sajid before in Housefull 2 and 3, and considers him as one of his close acquaintance in the industry. Asked if he got to talk to Sajid after the suspension was announced, Farhad adds, “Hum log toh baat karte hain.”

Sajid Khan was helming Housefull 4. But after a series of #metoo allegations against him, he was replaced by Farhad Samji as the director the film.

And would he collaborate with the filmmaker again? “This is not the right time or the right thing to talk about it. Now is the time to go step by step. It’s an awkward situation for everyone, so we can’t rush into things. This needs time and I am ready to give it,” says Farhad, asserting that on his part, he is “just concentrating” on the film.

“What happens next or whether will I work with [Sajid] or not are things that can’t be decided or discussed now,” he concludes, dodging further questions.

Author tweets @Shreya_MJ

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