‘The Idiot of Istanbul’: Imtiaz Ali to direct Fahadh Faasil in his first Hindi film

After months of speculation, it’s official: Imtiaz Ali is set to direct a film starring Fahadh Faasil in the lead role. The announcement came directly from Imtiaz himself during a recent roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter India, where he also revealed the title of the film—'The Idiot of Istanbul'.

Imtiaz spoke candidly about the project, admitting that while the news is now public, it may not be the next film he tackles. "The announcement is out, but it’s a bit ahead of its time," he said. "There is a movie, but it might not be the next one up. I’ve been wanting to make this film for a long time, and it’s called 'The Idiot of Istanbul'."

When asked if Fahadh Faasil would indeed be starring in the film, Imtiaz didn’t hesitate. "I would love that…yeah," he responded. "Now that you’ve got me talking, I’m not sure why I wasn’t supposed to say this, but yes, my plan is to make this film with Fahadh."

Should the project move forward as planned, 'The Idiot of Istanbul' will mark Fahadh Faasil’s debut in Hindi cinema. While he has always focused primarily on Malayalam films, the actor’s recent ventures into Tamil and Telugu cinema show his growing presence in the Indian film industry.

Imtiaz Ali, fresh off the success of his Netflix project 'Amar Singh Chamkila' with Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, is now setting his sights on this exciting new venture. Fans can expect a fresh and unique collaboration when this film finally hits the screen.