Fardeen Khan opens up about his long sabbatical; Says, 'Was in touch with Salman Khan throughout’

Actor

Fardeen Khan

, who is currently enjoying the success of his recently released '

Heeramandi

' helmed by

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

, deeply regrets stepping away from the industry even as film offers kept coming to him until about a decade ago.
In an interview with Pinkvilla, Fardeen recalled that he essentially took a complete break, only returning to Mumbai every few months.

He mentioned that he continued to receive offers until 2014–15, but after that, people assumed he had moved out of the country.
The actor added that he is currently trying to change this perception, emphasizing that he now lives in India and considers it home. However, he acknowledged that the previous perception was understandable given his prolonged absence.
Fardeen explained that while he continued to receive offers for a time, his significant weight gain signaled to people that he was no longer interested in acting. He expressed deep regret over his 12-year break, noting that it wasn't planned and that he wished the gap had been shorter by at least 6-7 years. He mentioned that he needed some time off after the loss of his father and for personal reasons.

The actor also revealed that upon his permanent return to India, he reached out to everyone he had previously collaborated with in an attempt to restart his career. Throughout this time, he stayed in constant contact with Salman Khan, with whom he had worked on "

No Entry

." He shared that Sanjay Gupta offered him a film during their second meeting, which was both scary and exciting for him as he felt like a newcomer once again upon his return.

Fardeen expressed gratitude that people hadn't forgotten him and were still interested in his work. He also mentioned maintaining contact with Salman and meeting Mukesh Chhabra. Currently, he's focused on convincing people that he's back and ready to work.
On the work front, Fardeen will be next seen in the comedy '

Khel Khel Mein

' with

Akshay Kumar

and Taapsee Pannu, among others. The film is set to release on August 15.