Daily Times

Young actor model Ali Raza, of ‘Noor Jahan’ fame, revealed he was approached for a big Bollywood debut in a Yash Raj Films project, but it didn’t happen due to visa restrictions.

During a new interview with a local YouTuber, Ali Raza recalled an audition call from YRF casting and shared that he managed to impress the team with his acting prowess, however, the role didn’t materialize when they got to know that he is from Pakistan.

“I got a message from the official Instagram page of YRF Casting, from Shanoo Sharma – their casting director,” he shared.

The ‘Noor Jahan’ star continued, “So I got a message from her, ‘There is a feature film and we want you to do it. So send us your contact details’. I shared my contact details with them, we had a conversation and then she sent me a monologue from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which was performed by Ranbir Kapoor in the movie. She asked me to perform it in my style.”

“I recorded the scene in my home studio and sent them the clip. They liked it and asked me for the rest of the details. All this while, I thought she must be aware of the fact that I am from Pakistan but she didn’t and somehow believed that I’m from Kolkata,” Raza detailed. “But then I informed them I’m from Lahore.”

The actor shared that he was really interested in doing the project but it didn’t work out due to visa restrictions. “But I still remember that they told me, ‘If there will be an opportunity in a project being shot overseas, we will contact you’,” Raza concluded.

On the work front, Ali Raza became a household name with his performance as Muraad Shah in ARY Digital’s serial ‘Noor Jahan’, featuring a star-studded cast, led by Kubra Khan and veteran artist Saba Hamid.

The sophomore directorial of young drama director Musaddiq Malek, written by celebrated playwright Zanjabeel Asim Shah, was one of the biggest dramas of the year 2024.