Imran Khan's cameo in Vir Das' upcoming directorial debut, "Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos," was driven by "FOMO" (fear of missing out), the actor revealed in a recent interview. The film, which is slated to hit theaters on January 16, 2026, marks Khan's return to the big screen after an 11-year hiatus following his last film, "Katti Batti" in 2015.
Khan explained that his involvement in the project stemmed from hearing about the film's development through mutual friends. Aamir Khan, Imran's uncle, is backing the film as a producer. Additionally, Mithila Palkar, who starred alongside Imran in "Katti Batti," was also involved and shared exciting details about the project. "True story—Vir was developing the project. And as he was moving through the stages of development, various friends of mine were getting attached," Khan told NDTV. He further added, "So this particular film is one that I joined just because all my friends were there and doing something that looked like fun".
Vir Das shared a screenshot of a text exchange with Imran from February 2024, illustrating how the cameo came about. In the text, Imran expressed interest in appearing in the film, saying, "Hey, been hearing good stuff about the film you're making! Any place I could cameo, you think?". Das responded enthusiastically, promising to create something "insane and fun" for him. Das also posted on X, "True story! We thought of the maddest thing and made Imran do it in #HappyPatelKhatarnakJasoos Can't wait for you to see it this Friday Jan 16!".
"Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos" is an action comedy that follows an accidental detective who finds himself in the middle of a dangerous and hilarious investigation. The film stars Vir Das alongside Mona Singh, Sharib Hashmi, and Mithila Palkar. Aamir Khan will also make a special appearance in the movie.
Imran Khan's decision to step away from acting came after a string of less successful projects, despite having starred in popular films such as "Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na" and "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan". His return, even in a cameo role, is highly anticipated by fans who have missed his presence on screen. Besides this cameo, Imran Khan is set to make his return as a lead actor after 10 years with Danish Aslam's "Adhoore Tum Adhoore Hum".
