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Irrfan... as he is!
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Irrfan courted fame with "Maqbool". Now as "The Killer" and "Yun Hota toh Kya Hota" kiss the silver screen this Friday, he is ready to try out different shades, finds ZIYA US SALAM
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PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
THE REALIST Irrfan says he felt uncomfortable when told that both his films were being released on the same day
Even as two of his films, The Killer and Yun Hota toh Kya Hota kiss the silver screen this Friday, Irrfan refuses to add a dash of hyperbole to his persona. He is as much a realist as he was much before Haasil and Maqbool happened. "As an actor one does not always have a choice. Maqbool does not happen every time. It is not necessary that all good scripts shall come to me. I don't always command the best," he says, modesty his understated companion.
By the way, he does not have much to be shy about his two releases this week. While The Killer comes from the Mahesh Bhatt camp, Yun Hota... marks Naseeruddin Shah's directorial debut. And for a guy often dubbed parallel cinema's delight, it is a mini coup of sorts to have two films releasing on the same day. "Initially, when they told me I was not easy. It left me with an uncomfortable feeling I could not place a finger on. Then I realised that both the films are from completely different schools. The audiences are different. People go to see a film if they want to, not just because of a star. While The Killer is a completely mainstream film which you can watch, enjoy and move on, Yun Hota... is targeted at the multiplex audiences."
Talking of his two films, Irrfan believes they could not have come from better people. "Mahesh Bhatt Sahab makes a film for the masses. He has an emotional approach. He does not believe much in understanding the film. He relates it from the heart. Melancholy is part of the Mahesh Bhatt package. There was a lot of personal element in Rog and some of his other films, but in The Killer there is no personal approach. It is simply a paisa vasool film."
Special film
He is more accommodating when it comes to Naseer's film. "It is a special film. I believe every film should have something unseen, and something that should engage the viewers. It should have entertainment `quwwat' (strength). This film meets those requirements. It has a fresh narrative. The impact is different. As a director Naseer Sahab has used all his experience. Initially, I was apprehensive when I went to watch the film two-three days ago. In the first few reels I could not get along. Then the film picks up beautifully. It may not be a milestone in my career, but for Naseer Sahab it is an important film, one that he has made with his heart, with his head." Then again the realist in him comes to the fore. "But there is a difference between making a good film and the film running at the box office. We have Omkara opening next week, so we are not too sure about the box office results yet."
By the way, was it a desperate search for a box office hit or simply a desire to make a quick buck that forced Irrfan to do a film like Mr 100 Per Cent, which was supposed to be the tale of a gigolo and ended up as a slime ball. Or was he just gullible? "We all make mistakes. I felt embarrassed to do Mr 100 Per Cent. When the film was narrated to me I thought it was something like Chakra and the producers told me that the film needed me only for three-four days and it might get a facelift if I did the film. So I agreed to do it, but once I reached the sets I realised what kind of film I had got into. But once having signed the film, there was no going back. Now it is firmly behind me."
What is in front after the twin releases this week is Dubai Return, a long pending film where Irrfan has tried his hand at comedy. "I keep trying different things. I tried to break the stereotype of being a serious, intense actor with 7 1/2 Phere also, but it did not work. Now, Dubai Return is waiting for release."
A thriller
And waiting to be canned is a film produced by Jayaprada and directed by Kitu Ghosh. "It is a thriller, a psychological thriller with some mystical elements. There are two important characters in the film, one is played by me, the other by Jaya ji herself." So, when is the shooting to commence, considering except for Irrfan everybody has given the dates. "Well, I honestly, don't know," he says in all sincerity. What he knows honestly is some day he would like to return to theatre to do some more meaningful work. "I am looking for an opportunity to do theatre. But theatre wants some commitment. Once given you cannot fiddle with those dates. My problem is, I plan too much, I go too much into details. But shortly I intend to do a play based on a short story by Naseer Sahab." And what about his mentor, Mohan Maharishi? "Well, there is no question of ever saying no to him. He contributed a lot to my development as an actor. I learnt a lot. I am grateful to him. He treated me like a kid. He was a father figure at the National School of Drama."
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