20 October,2026 11:07 PM IST | Mumbai | Onam Gupta
Imran Khan and Abhinay Deo`s pic via Instagram
Imran Khan has been asked to leave India by October 28 following his participation in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai on October 10. Filmmaker Abhinay Deo, who directed the Bollywood actor in the 2011 cult dark comedy Delhi Belly, has reacted to the controversy, expressing he was in disbelief. He also believes that people should not judge Imran's personal choices, calling him an "extraordinary human being."
In an exclusive conversation with Mid-Day, Abhinay said, "Yes, I was very shocked. I know him. I don't know his intentions; only he knows. What plan he has, what he prefers in life, or what his choices are- those are only his choices, and I don't think we have a right to speak about it."
Despite shock, Abhinay spoke warmly about Imran and said, "But the one thing I do know about him is he is one of the most genuine people that I know. Incredibly gentle and a very nice human being, and that's all I can say. That's what I know of him; he is an extraordinary human being."
Abhinay recalled the actor's fondness for performing stunts and said his bravery was evident during the Delhi Belly shoot. He said, "Very brave, as we can see that. But even then, when we were filming Delhi Belly, he used to like doing his stunts. So, the brave angle, actually, was exhibited a bit. So, he is such a lovely person."
Abhinay suggests that society should be less judgemental and more understanding of different perspectives. "We have become a cynical society; we like to see a lot of negativity before we see anything positive. So, I think that's up to us again. As a society, we are 8 billion people on this planet, with a lot of point of views floating around," he added.
Abhinay believes that creative people should focus on making good content, rather than commenting on matters they don't fully know. "I think as media people or as creative people we should not get into all this. We should just continue to work, put our best foot forward, and keep coming up with lovely creative stuff, good stories, good narratives, and that's where our minds should be limited to, rather than going into places that we don't know much about," he said.
The controversy began on October 10, when Imran was detained by Mumbai Police during a protest at August Kranti Maidan. The demonstration was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Following the protest, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police, citing that Imran is a US citizen and not an Indian citizen. After that, Imran approached the Bombay High Court to challenge the notice, arguing that he was not given an opportunity to present his side before the order was passed.
The Bombay High Court agreed to hear his petition on October 26.
