Shashank Khaitan reveals why Mr Lele with Varun Dhawan was shelved, calls it ‘blessing in disguise’

Shashank Khaitan said that it was for the best that Mr Lele with Varun Dhawan was put on hold, as they would have racked up huge pre-production costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Filmmaker Shashank Khaitan has said that it was a ‘blessing in disguise’ that his film with actor Varun Dhawan, Mr Lele, was shelved just before the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country. He added that if this had not been the case, they would have racked up a huge amount on the pre-production of the film.

Varun Dhawan and Shashank Khaitan have earlier collaborated on Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

Talking about Mr Lele, Shashank told Mid-Day, “As per our original plan, we were supposed to start filming on March 13. The (suspension of shoots) was announced on March 15. So, the stalling of our film was a blessing in disguise; otherwise, we would have ended up spending a lot more on the pre-production.” He added that the film will be revived in the future.

Shashank also shed some light on why Mr Lele was stalled. “We were not able to form a flow for the shoot. It was a small film that was to be based in Mumbai, but things were not falling in place. I kept feeling that something is not right. Since Karan [Johar, producer], Varun and I collectively felt it, we decided to hold off the project for the time being,” he said.

In January, it was announced that Varun and Shashank would team up for a ‘maha entertainer’ titled Mr Lele. A first-look poster was released too, in which the actor was seen lifting his hands in surrender while holding a gun. He wore nothing but his underwear and an orange fanny pack around his waist.

However, in early March, Shashank announced that Mr Lele had been shelved. “Hi Guys, here is an update on Mr. Lele. Karan, Varun and I have mutually decided to postpone the shooting of the film. Its a script we all love and am sure will revisit soon. But scheduling the film was turning out to be very tough, as the film has a solid ensemble cast and the dates were just not falling into place,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I am very sure Varun and I will collaborate soon, either on Mr. Lele itself or on something new, as collaborating with him has always been the most joyful and fulfilling experience in my life,” he added.

Mr Lele is Varun and Shashank’s second collaboration that did not take off. In 2018, they had announced a war drama titled Rannbhoomi, which was later shelved. The two have earlier worked together in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

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