Princess Diana’s former boyfriend Hasnat Khan has slammed the upcoming movie that portrays the couple’s relationship saying it is “complete wrong” and he will never watch it.
The heart surgeon from Pakistan who was romantically involved with the Princess in her final years criticised the film in a rare interview with the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
Dr Khan was scathing in his reaction to the movie, ‘Diana’, and denied giving approval to the film’s creators to portray his personal life.
The film, starring Naomi Watts, follows the final two years of Diana’s life and focuses on the couple’s relationship, but according one of the real life central characters, it is inaccurate.
“It is based on gossip and Diana’s friends talking about a relationship that they didn’t know much about, and some of my relatives who didn’t know much about it either. It is all based on hypotheses and gossip,” he said.
Khan has not seen the film, but said he “could tell” from still pictures released in the lead-up to the movie’s September opening showing the couple in an affectionate embrace that he was being portrayed inaccurately.
“You could tell from that picture that it is all just presumed about how we would behave with each other, and they have got it completely wrong.”
The film is based on Kate Snell’s 2001 book Diana: Her Last Love, which Khan was not consulted on either.
Speaking of his relationship with the Princess of Wales, Khan said they were equal, but he understand why Diana had to end the relationship shortly before her death in 1997 crediting media intrusion and the lack of progression in their relationship.
“There wasn’t any hierarchy in our relationship. She wasn’t a Princess and I wasn’t a doctor,” he said.
“Even after two years, the relationship wasn’t leading to a meaningful progression or conclusion and that was the main stress on both of us.”
The royal family has not commented on the film, but Naomi Watts has said she was nervous about stepping into the role of one of history’s most admired women, and has expressed concern over Princes William and Harry’s reaction to the film.
In a recent interview with the Mail on Sunday she said she would “hate to upset them”.