From a thinking man’s actor to an actor who can pull crowds, Irrfan Khan has come a long way. Last week he led the way in Talvar and withstood the Akshay Kumar challenge at the box office. And this week he is looming large in the poster of Jazbaa, which till a few months back was dominated by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. “When I came to the industry, I didn’t even know that I could make it as an actor. When I became one, I realised there was another monster that needed to be tackled – box office. I was introduced as a good actor who gives realistic performance but I could make out that something was missing. However, becoming an actor was a bigger fight. This one was easier to handle,” says Irrfan.
Edited excerpts from an interview:
Talvaris a unique film in the sense that it passes a judgement on a case which is sub-judice. What was your motivation to do the film?
My concern was with the questions that it was raising. I was overwhelmed when I saw the facts that Vishal (Bhardwaj) and his team brought to me because they were never discussed in public. I thought these should be shared with the audience. I am not concerned whether Talwars killed their daughter or not. For me it is the story of accountability. If the institutions won’t play their part responsibly then the common man will suffer. Is the media’s job to make a story spicy and throw it in the market or should it follow it to some conclusion? It is one case that we know about. There are many such cases. It is not about whether the individuals are competent or not. It is about the system. People are doing their job properly but in many cases the system is not compelling the individual to do his work efficiently. In fact it is becoming a hurdle in the way of competent individuals. I saw the bigger picture.
Can the film influence the judiciary?
If a film can influence judiciary then it is an even bigger problem.
Is there an anguish somewhere that you let out through your films?
As an actor you observe what is happening around you and the anguish and frustration keeps accumulating. I can’t hit somebody on the street. I keep looking for stories where I can let it out. This is the only way through which I can make a difference.
You have lent your voice to the cause of farmers in Karnataka?
It is because of my teacher Prasanna, who lit the flame of acting in me. He came at a crucial point in my life. After spending one-and-a-half years in NSD, I had no clue what acting was. I came with the impression that NSD will give me some formula and I will become an actor. Then Prasanna mounted a play, “The Ascent to Fujiyama”. It was also about accountability, and I found a direction. He returned to Karnataka and after running a repertory he came to the conclusion that he can’t bring social change through theatre and started to work towards making the villages self sufficient by making the folk art commercially viable. So that people don’t have to migrate and work as labourers in big cities.
On one hand we have farmers committing suicide and on the other the state seems to be intervening in food choices of people…
For me it is painful. Cow has a function in our society. Calling eating beef just a food habit is reducing the argument to a superficial level. Coming from a modest background I understand for a farmer she is not less than god. From manure to milk she fulfils a number of his needs. However, if that purpose is not being fulfilled, all this talk of protection is meaningless. You stop using fertilisers and prohibit injecting them for milk. Put a ban on their sale in melas and the use of cow skin in leather industry... I mean if we address the root cause, other things will happen harmoniously on their own. But if we pick out on one thing for political interest, it will only lead to conflict.
It is hard to bracket you…
All my life I have only broken formulae. I run away from religious rituals as long as their purpose is not served. For instance qurbani doesn’t only mean slaughtering the lamb; you can sacrifice anything that you cherish. The ritual is to make you understand the transient nature of life. But we are a clever race. We find convenient options. When people sacrifice for taste, when you buy a goat two days before the festival, how can one associate oneself with such a ritual. It is about complete surrender. I have always tried to find the truth in what is being said for years. It is what has made me. It has given me my personality. When I see that this man is changing the definition of the heroism or this director is redefining romance, I back him. I have no interest in playing conventional heroes.
Your decision to leaveThe MartianforPikubaffled many…
I missed a great opportunity to work with Ridley Scott but there was no option. I had done one schedule of Piku and didn’t want to leave the crew in a difficult situation. Piku was an important film for me because it was a new way of storytelling. It was reflecting life; it was a reflection of the changing face of Indian mainstream cinema. I should first contribute to what is happening in my house.
How is Hollywood looking at you?
Recently, after a studio screening of Inferno, I called my agent to inquire about the response. There people are very formal and great is loosely used in public. So I asked whether he can put a filter and see through the adjective. He said they are pleased to know me as a human being and then what I bring to the character. It is often more than what it written in the script.
Are you becoming a means to tackle Indian territory?
Slumdog Millionaire didn’t do big business here nor did Namesake. So territory was not the sole criterion in the first place. There were bigger names with bigger territories eager to work there. It might be happening now with films like Jurassic Park. But I don’t mind considering the kind of respect I got both on the sets and in the credits. It reminded me of Pran sahib. It was always And Pran.
But then you do aJazbaaand dance in an AIB video
There is a connection. Every generation finds its own expression and in the process challenges the established values. We should not inhibit it. The audience can now connect with the unsaid part in a story. Perhaps that’s why the AIB video became so popular because it was hitting at the eyewash, dhakosla as we call it. Had it been only about comedy or my dance I don’t think the video would have become so popular.
And Jazbaa?How far is it from your realistic space and was an opportunity to work with Aishwarya Rai worthy enough bait?
Here your personal or social reflection doesn’t matter much. What matters is the ability to engage people who have come with the sole purpose of getting entertained. I saw an opportunity to develop a bond with that kind of audience in Jazbaa. I am at a stage where this kind of cinema is not out of my reach as a performer. I just have to channelize my talent in a different direction. Here I don’t have to dig within to play a character. This kind of cinema thrives on packaging and Aishwarya Rai is part of that package.
But you come from different schools of acting?
This is the director’s job. If he has chosen to tell this story with a particular set of actors then he should have the wherewithal to tell it. Had it been a completely new territory for Sanjay Gupta then I would have also thought before signing up. The difference is here there is a different kind of emotional depth than what we usually expect from his films. There are a few scenes with Aishwarya where my character’s body language doesn’t match with what he is saying. These are the moments where Sanjay has let go of his thriller track. These are the moments that I will cherish. As they say do kadam tum chalo, do kadam hum chalein….
