Imran Khan recalls his highest-paid film being his 'most miserable' and why he 'won't do it even for double the money again': 'Taught me how much my time and peace of mind is worth'

After a decade away from the screen, Imran Khan is opening up about the lessons that shaped his time off, including the film that paid him the most but left him feeling the worst. In a new interview, the actor got candid about money, boundaries, and why he now walks away from projects that don't feel right, no matter the price tag attached.Imran Khan says his biggest pay cheque came with a ‘miserable’ experienceIn conversation with Brut, Imran reflected on a project that remains unnamed but left a lasting impression on him but for all the wrong reasons. "The film I made that specifically gave me my highest pay cheque in my life, was also the most miserable film I made… the process of making it. That taught me the lesson of how much is that money worth and how much is your time and peace of mind worth. What's your trade-off point? What's the point where you say, 'Keep the money'," Khan shared.Imraan Khan on establishing clear boundariesThat experience appears to have permanently shifted how Imran evaluates work today. He explained that he now has a firm line he won't cross, regardless of the offer on the table. "When someone says, 'Take this money and do this', I say no, I won't do that for your money. You will reach a point somewhere, to the idea that there is a price, but I would like to think that we also have a like that we won't cross for the money. Even if the price is double, or three times the money, I still won't do that. When you find that, it does something to your head," Khan said.Why did Imran Khan step away from Bollywood?Imran's remarks add fresh context to a break that once seemed abrupt but was, by his own account, a slow unraveling rather than a single decision. Speaking to Film Companion back in 2024, he had described how his exit wasn't a dramatic exit but a gradual drift. "Yes. At that moment I didn't consider it in that way and I never said, 'Okay, on this day, I'm done, I quit.' It was kind of a process of a week becoming a month, a month becoming three and becoming a year, and a year becoming two where I said, 'Okay, I won't do this because my heart's not in it.'"Khan also spoke about the deeper introspection that followed, admitting the years away were less about escaping the industry and more about searching for himself. "Effectively I spent my 20s, working and building and setting up a career. In my 30s, that ended up not being the thing that I felt like focusing on. Life took me in another direction. Effectively these past 10 years I have spent kind of grappling with the larger questions of who am I, what do I want to do, what do I want to be. A series of life circumstances led me to a place where I was not getting the fulfilment."Imran Khan's career then and his comeback nowImran built his early career on the back of hit romantic comedies like 'Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na', 'I Hate Luv Storys', ' Delhi Belly ' and ' Mere Brother Ki Dulhan ', before a rough patch beginning in 2013 with underwhelming releases like 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola', 'Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!' and 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein' slowed his momentum. His last lead role came in 'Katti Batti' (2015) opposite Kangana Ranaut, after which he stepped back from acting entirely for ten years.Now, that long hiatus is finally coming to an end. Imran is set to headline the Netflix film ' Adhure Hum Adhure Tum ', a grown-up romantic comedy directed by Danish Aslam, marking their reunion since ' Break Ke Baad '. The film also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Gurfateh Pirzada, and is currently in post-production ahead of its release later this year.