Arif Zakaria addresses rumours about him replacing Shah Rukh Khan in Darmiyaan; says, “I don’t think this story is completely true”

Actor Arif Zakaria made his debut in the 1997 film Darmiyaan: In Between, taking on the role of Immi. There were earlier rumors that Shah Rukh Khan was initially set to play the transgender role but was replaced by Arif.

Nearly 29 years later, Arif has addressed these rumors on Siddharth Kannan’s YouTube channel and said, “I don’t think this story is completely true. Director Kalpana Lajmi, at that point in time, met many actors, and that is a fact. Due to some reasons, some actors said yes, some said no, and that role.”

He added, “Nowadays, actors come in sarees; earlier, there was not much awareness, so many actors rejected playing that role. I used to read scripts at that time, and in 7-8 (days), I had that by heart. Kalpana was meeting many actors at that time, and every actor said no. Then one day she just called me and said, ‘I want to audition you.’”

He felt that destiny had played a significant role in his career. Arif also mentioned that he had no idea who he would replace because numerous actors had been considered for the role.

He said, “There were talks at that time; she met Shah Rukh Khan and other Bollywood and South actors. I had just some information; it was my first film in which I was waiting for my one scene, and it was all my faith that the entire film was made.”

Darmiyaan: In Between tells the story of an actress who discovers that her son is a transgender. The film features Kiron Kher and Tabu in leading roles. It is directed by Kalpana Lajmi and written by Saagar Gupta.