Ayushmann Khurrana breaks silence on Mohanlal’s ‘secondary casting’ row: ‘He is a legend’

Days after director Jude Anthany Joseph disclosed that he withdrew from a planned Bollywood film collaboration with Ayushmann Khurrana and legendary Malayalam actor Mohanlal, both parties have issued a clarification. While the director insisted that Ayushmann had no role in the controversy and was delighted to learn Mohanlal might join the film, the Bollywood actor emphasized his deep respect for the Malayalam superstar.

Ayushmann also expressed his desire to one day work alongside Mohanlal. Joseph confirmed he had walked away from the film due to what he perceived as disrespect towards Mohanlal, who was labeled as a secondary casting choice. The director removed a previous post stating the producer made the disparaging remark, but later clarified that the comment was about the producer, not Ayushmann.