Imran Khan Signed as Male Lead in 2 States

Imran Khan

Imran Khan has been signed as the male lead in the screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's 2 States, which is a joint production by Sajid Nadiadwala and Karan Johar.

"Karan was keen to have Imran on board. The actor takes his time to commit to any film. But he loved the script of 2 States and gave his nod to the film, which is expected to start early next year," a source told Mumbai Mirror.

The female lead has not been finalized yet.

Originally the film was announced in the fall of 2010 with Saif Ali Khan as the male lead and Priyanka Chopra's and Deepika Padukone's names doing the rounds for the female lead.

In December 2010, Vishal Bhardwaj stepped in as the director/co-producer of the film and Shah Rukh Khan was announced to play the lead.

Within a month, there were reports of SRK and Bhardwaj having creative differences and the film likely being shelved.

October 2011, Karan Johar stepped in as a co-producer of the film, and Ranbir Kapoor was brought on board as the male lead. The actor confirmed he was in the film to media outlets, but the film never saw light of the day.

Talks with Imran Khan, took place recently. The 29-year-old actor just completed filming for Vishal Bhardwaj's Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola. He will next begin filming for Milan Luthria's Once Upon A Time In Mumbai... Again.

The 2 States- The story of my marriage is a tale of a Punjabi boy, Krish, and a Tamil girl, Ananya, who meet at IIM Ahmadabad. They fall in love and want to marry, but their parents are opposed to the idea. The story recounts the couple's efforts to make the parents come around, and their eventual success.

The plot is inspired by Bhagat's own life - he is from Delhi and his wife, Anusha, from Tamil Nadu - and is narrated as a first person account.

Knowing Imran's formidable acting skills, we're sure the film will be a must-see!