Irrfan Khan remains an inspiration to budding actors even after his passing. His illustrious career included a string of successful films and collaborations with renowned directors. Vishal Bhardwaj, who worked with Irrfan Khan in movies like Maqbool, Talvaar, Haider, and 7 Khoon Maaf, recalled a story about a disagreement they had when the late actor couldn’t commit to a project due to prior commitments. In a conversation with Lallantop, Vishal Bhardwaj recounted a falling out with Irrfan Khan that occurred after he refused to do Ishqiya (2010).
Vishal said, “We were making Ishqiya (2010), which Abhishek Chaubey was directing, and obviously, Irrfan had to be in it. We never used to think beyond Irrfan Khan and he had already agreed. So, when we reached out to him, he said, ‘Oh Vishal sir, I’ve given my dates to another film.’ I asked him why and he said, ‘Your No Smoking (2007) flopped so I thought you won’t make another film now.’”
He further revealed that a well-known actress turned down the opportunity to star in the film alongside Irrfan because of his perceived lack of commercial appeal. “I didn’t talk to him, or pick up his calls for two-three years. Then he also stopped calling because I did not want to talk to him,” he added.
During the conversation, Vishal further shared about how after not speaking to each other for a while, they finally teamed up in 7 Khoon Maaf. He revealed that nobody was ready to do 7 Khoon Maaf as the character was very complex. “Big or small, every actor said no to that role. So, I thought if Irrfan was there, he’d have got this character. So, I called him but dropped the call after the first ring, but he then called back and asked me why I called him. So, I told him there’s a role and he said I don’t want a narration, I just want to work with you. So, from then, our friendship started again,” he said.
Vishal Bhardwaj and Irrfan Khan were collaborating on the crime novel Mafia Queens of Mumbai when Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer.
On the professional front, Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming list of films includes Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley and Khufiya. Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley will be released on September 27 on SonyLIV while the spy thriller, Khufiya will be released on October 5.
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