Farhan Akhtar's 'Jee Le Zaraa' to be delayed?
What's the story
It looks like we won't be seeing the three leading ladies of Bollywood hitting the road anytime soon. The shoot of Farhan Akhtar's next project as a director, Jee Le Zaraa, has reportedly been postponed and pushed to 2023. This means that we will have to wait longer to see the much-awaited collaboration of the three A-listers: Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, and Alia Bhatt.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Touted as the "female-version of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara," Jee Le Zaraa will bring the three star actors together for the first time. Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was a major success, which has raised the stakes for Jee Le Zaraa as well. Actor-director-writer Farhan Akhtar last directed Don 2, which makes this road-trip drama his first directorial project in over a decade.
Potential reasons
'Need more time to sort out the actors' dates'
With such massive stars on board, a conflict in shoot scheduled is bound to arise, and Jee Le Zaraa is grappling with the same concern. A source revealed to ETimes, "It needs more time to sort out the dates of the three actresses." Since all three actors currently have their kitties full, it is unlikely that the film will go on floors before 2023.
Challenges
Supporting cast awaits finalization too
Not just lead actors' dates, Jee Le Zaraa's makers are encountering a few more challenges that need attention, too. The film—co-written by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti—is still looking for supporting cast members, which is again a time-consuming process. The pre-production work is expected to be finished in time to meet an early 2023 shoot deadline, with the film eyeing a late 2023 release.
Information
Know more about 'Jee Le Zaraa'
Jee Le Zaraa will be produced by the Akhtar siblings, Ritesh Sidhwani (Excel Entertainment), and Kagti. Notably, Kagti is a frequent collaborator of the Akhtars. The music department will be spearheaded by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who also orchestrated the music for Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On!!, and Don 2, among others. Jay Oza is in charge of cinematography. He has previously collaborated with Akhtar on Toofaan.
Future films
The actors have their hands full with projects
Bhatt, who has been riding high on the success wave of Gangubai Kathiawadi, is currently shooting for Heart of Stone, which also stars Gal Gadot. Her ambitious project with husband Ranbir Kapoor, Brahmastra, is also slated to release on September 9. Separately, Chopra is shooting for Hollywood projects Citadel and Text For You. Welcome actor Kaif, meanwhile, will be seen next in Tiger 3.