Page 63 - English Tehelka Issue 7 - April 15, 2018

Irrfan Khan
does not have
a precedent. He

t 51, Irrfan Khan has be shot when he returns after treat- important roles. Here in India, he national project, The Wicked Path, found his peak loyalties quickly. In urban centres in
clocked up achieve- ment and recovery. That he was in plays the leading man in fresh, in- to be directed by Salim Khassa has India, the youth prefers logging on to
ments that set new the midst of preparations of a film novative cinematic stories. His films been announced. Then there’s The at middle age, these platforms rather than turning
benchmarks for Indian with India’s most popular hero- have been integral in redefining that Ministry series directed by Gursim- when actors on the TV or buying movie tickets. In
A cinema. The unpreten- ine reiterates that his career graph which we call mainstream Hindi ran Khamba, from All India Bakchod Irrfan’s constant criticism and truth
tious and simply brilliant actor, an blazes its own trail. Irrfan can’t be cinema. Small, brilliant films like Qis- (the Stand Up Comedy troupe). And tend to wane. telling, there is an element of harsh
alternate cinema star at home, is the compared to others, not in his pro- sa have given his theatrical releases there’s Blackmail, a comedy- drama Known for strong reality. Unless good stories with
very first Indian actor to crossover fessional life or his personal choices. in niche European markets. He has by Abhinay Deo that releases this strong content make it to Indian
to international cinema in the tru- It’s almost ironic that Irrfan also been part of a groundbreaking month. Irrfan Khan remains prolific performances screens, it will lose its audience rap-
est sense of the word. Today, as he Khan’s pet cause of activism was Netflix mini series, Tokyo Trials, and and on top of his game. idly to better international content.
suffers from a rare condition, a Neu- opposition to cell phone towers. is set to star in the comedy series, The There’s also another form of ac- and breaking new Only a truly committed artiste, who
roEndocrine Tumor, Irrfan has gone Proliferation of these towers in resi- Ministry, for Amazon India. tivism that he has displayed - a near ground, he beat really cares about the fate of Indian
to London to seek further treatment. dential areas and near educational Simply put, Irrfan Khan does not radical rejection of the kind of con- cinema, would say this at the risk of
As always he has displayed im - institutes had him protesting along have a precedent. His career, shaped tent that Hindi cinema and TV churn the racial diversity antagonizing established power cen-
maculate grace in his public con- with common people. Cell phone by incredible acting talent and a out. In an stark statement at a media cliché with roles tres that rule Hindi films.
duct of an illness that can have dire radiation has been linked to cancers thirst for quality work, is compara- forum in Mumbai, Khan had stated Irrfan Khan has underlined spir-
consequences. and tumors, with heated debates ble to international actors. During that streaming giants Netflix, Ama- being scripted ituality and his firm belief in God
Initially, Irrfan announced on so- in medical and scientific circles on the course of a rare interview, while zon Prime and Hulu will not find for him with his recent social media posts on
cial media that after suspense of 15 whether they really cause harm to chatting with Irrfan’s long-term suitable collaborators amongst Indi- Instagram and Twitter. Even as Khan
an content creators. He simply stated undergoes advanced treatment, the
that we don’t have writers and that erratically. Therefore, the motiva- warrior in him continues to battle
tion to research and think through a against set norms and conventions
no one puts in the right amount of
The Warrior Within: Irrfan Khan’s research. He has stated this similarly project is often missing. There is no and established, outdated concepts
of cinema and stardom. When back
concept of a team of writers devel-
in the past too, that there is a crisis
Illness Brings Focus on His Genius in writing for film . While insiders of oping a script or storyline for TV. As on his feet, this warrior, as his wife
online streaming giants like Netflix
the film industry might view Khan’s
Sutapa calls him, is bound to deliver
and Amazon Prime revise the para-
statement as brash, it holds a lot
more ground breaking and unfor-
of truth. Mediocrity and remaking
loads of content that has something
dominates Hindi film writing. Writ- digm of storytelling and bring back gettable cinematic work.
A fine and dedicated actor, Irrfan has always fought established and outdated concepts ers are compensated poorly and for everyone, viewers have switched letters@tehelka.com
of cinema and stardom. When back on his feet, this warrior is bound to deliver more
ground breaking and unforgettable cinematic work, archita kashyap writes • Ill health
Irrfan Khan
was recently
diagnosed with
days, he has discovered that he has people’s health. What is more worth manager, the name Viola Davis neuroendo-
a rare disease. Poetically, he refer- noting here is the fact that cell phone cropped up. Instantly, similarities in crine tumour
enced that his quest for rare stories companies are amongst the biggest their careers struck me. Both have
has led to a rare disease. Irrfan then sources of advertising and event-re- found their peaks at middle age,
shared details of his illness with- lated revenues for Indian celebrities. when actors tend to wane. Both are
out giving specifics of which part By opposing these towers, Irrfan ef- known for strong performances and
of his body has the tumour grown fectively cut off his chances of land- breaking new ground. And both beat
in. He also mentioned that he will ing any such ads or events. the racial diversity cliché with roles
be travelling to London for further But then, Irrfan Khan has never being scripted for them. As actor Ir-
treatment. He has referenced classic led life with conventional choices. rfan still has a lot more qualitative
Western literature to infer a sense of His transition to Hollywood has not material to deliver onscreen.
acceptance and understanding of his been highly publicized or high pro- He has completed shooting for
illness. file. It has been subtle, as has been Marc Turtletaub’s slice of life film,
Irrfan was set to begin shooting the acceptance that he has found Puzzle. Turtletaub has produced the
for his next film by Vishal Bharad- amongst elite filmmakers and with Oscar nominated Little Miss Sunshine,
waj. Co-starring Deepika Padukone, international cinema. Be it Inferno, and much loved films like Away We
this was a promising gangster drama The Amazing Spiderman or Jurassic Go, Sunshine Cleaning and Loving.
set to traverse Mumbai and the bor- World, Irrfan has been part of big- Starring Emily Dickinson, this is a
der areas of Nepal. The film will now ticket Hollywood films playing much-awaited Indie. Another inter-

tehelka / 15 april 2018 62 www.tehelka.com

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