Initially, I used to wonder if a face like mine can ever make it big in the industry-Irrfan Khan
8:05 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2017)
He is a romantic at heart,
but his idea of romance is a tad different. Just like his views on other
things - Indian cinema, success and superstardom. Irrfan, never once had
a shred of doubt about becoming an actor or his acting prowess. But
yes, he confesses, “I was convinced ki actor toh bann jaayenge, par love
stories karne ka mauka nahi milega.“ Once again, we will see him in a
romantic role in Qarib Qarib Singlle, directed by Tanuja Chandra, where he lets the leading lady -Parvathy -take
centre stage.In a chat with BT, he tells us about how he has always
defied the norm -be it in love, life or movies.
In an earlier interview to BT, you had spoken about how you view romance very differently in movies and in reality. Qarib Qarib Singlle is yet another film where you are playing the romantic lead a tad differently from the usual fare...
Since relationship is an intrinsic part of a human being, the society wants to take control of it, be judgmental about it and put it in a mould. We need to know that it is our right and we should celebrate the phenomena. What is love and when do you 'fall in love', is a question we toy with all our life. We all have to find our own definition for this emotion.
Personally, does saying the three words (I Love You) come easy to you?
I say it all the time. Maybe not verbally, but in my mind.
But when expressed in words, it has a deeper impact. So, do your loved ones, including your wife, want to hear those magical words?
Oh, every day! Despite being a romantic person, I have not been able to express much love. There is so much of it bottled up that I take it out through my characters.
It’s also true that the more you get love, the more you want it…
That means you are seeking acknowledgment. During a break-up, the person who has to abide by the decision of his lover to split feels more miserable. It’s the ego that doesn’t allow him to take it well. That’s not love. For me, love is not about possessing someone. As human beings, we are bound to get hurt, but what’s important is how we deal with it — whether you impose restrictions on that person or understand her, let her explore and celebrate life with somebody else.
So, is that the premise of Qarib Qarib Singlle?
Though it doesn’t reach that point, there is a kind of interaction between the man and the woman that took me back to my past. I was born in a conventional family, where we couldn’t relate to the idea of two opposite genders getting friendly. For us, it either led to love or marriage. I was furious when my sister had an affair. I would feel, ‘Main uss saale ko jaan se maar doon’. Now it occurs to me that I was conditioned according to the societal norms. This film is a departure from the Irrfan I knew. In this one, the opposite gender is treated as an equal and her being a girl doesn’t come into play. It is about how a man and a woman come together organically, and evolve in a relationship.
When you began your career, actors were slotted more easily than today. For most part, you were seen as an actor who is here to play only intense, deep roles. Was it a struggle to break away from it?
Back then, I had never imagined that I would be offered love stories. Though I had this burning desire to do such films, I was convinced ki actor toh bann jaayenge, par love stories karne ka mauka nahi milega. I felt limited, but life is full of surprises. I think the desire was so intense that I ended up doing a love story in Hollywood. Having said that, everybody is not Shoojit Sircar. Who would have imagined me with Deepika Padukone in a romantic setup like Piku? At times, an actor has to stretch the imagination of the director to show that it’s a possibility and he can do the unthinkable.
Do you approach characters in Hollywood films differently vis-a-vis Hindi films?
Every film — national or international — has its own sur and sensitivity. Even in Hollywood, some films are layered, while some aren’t. You have to hold yourself back from burdening the film with your understanding, sensibility and experience. Some films don’t need it. In the beginning of my career, people would often tell me, ‘Yaar, thoda mota mota kar, thoda zor se bol, thodi kharaab acting kar le. Bhatt saab (Mahesh Bhatt) once told me that I should spoon-feed the audience. Woh mujhe line par laane ki koshish kar rahe the to fit into the requirement of commercial cinema. Sadly, most of our films post 60s aren’t ahead of time, and they are not offering what the audience would like to watch. I guess that’s why the audience don’t buy a movie ticket unless they are assured through word-of-mouth that the film is worth a watch. Five years down the line, it will be even more difficult for Hindi cinema to bring in the audience.
While Deepika played the title character in Piku, Tabu had a strong role in Maqbool. Saba Qamar’s was pivotal in Hindi Medium; In Qarib... too, Parvathy has an equally important part. You don’t seem to mind letting the heroine take centre stage...
While rehearsing my lines and thinking about my character in Qarib..., I reached the conclusion that the heroine is the main character. I was fascinated by her part, which is fantastic and multi-shaded. The first thing I told Parvathy when I met her was, ‘Aap toh bhai hero ho iss film ke. Humein bhi jagah de dena’. If the story becomes important for me, the length of my role doesn’t matter. If the heroine happens to be a narcissistic actress, then there will be a problem. However, I haven’t had any such experience, as I have a say in the casting of my films.
Is it because the characters in our films aren’t so nuanced?
We don’t make nuanced films. Agar superstars ka bas chale toh woh vanity van ke baahar hi camera laga lega, kyunki uska apna koi role nahi hai story sunane mein. There are very few directors who don’t give a damn if there is a superstar in their films; all they care about is the story. The rest of them are guided by the star’s image. This is the reason why when two-three good actors come together for a film, it often turns out to be a handicap as everybody is trying to pull the narrative towards them, taking the soul away from the story. In our country, people go mad watching Rajinikanth on screen. They go to watch Salman Khan and not the character he is playing. They might stop watching him if he plays the character seriously. Unko unka charm chahiye kyunki hamare yahaan film dekhna mele mein jaane jaisa hai. However, there is a huge chunk of evolved audience, which is now looking for a different experience.
It’s more convenient for studios to back films with superstars, no matter how good the content of a small film might be. The stars even take a call on the director and co-actors...
That’s true. No matter how good the subject is, the studio is more concerned about the star they have on board. But the system is changing because of the audience. If you notice the trend this year, movies like Hindi Medium, Bareilly Ki Barfi (produced by Junglee Pictures and B R Studios), Newton and Lipstick Under My Burkha have worked at the box office. The mindset won’t change till the time stars are leading it; it changes when the storytelling becomes diverse and important.
But box-office figures also matter, right? And in our industry, we often end up talking more about the BO numbers than the content of the film…
We have that perception and are propagating it. But then, actors like me are there to defy the notion (laughs).
There was a time when you were uncomfortable with your looks, but today, we often hear you being described as hot...
I enjoy such wonderful comments, but I don’t take them too seriously; I am not delusional. When I decided to become an actor, I always wondered whether a face like mine will ever make it big in the industry. I was in a naive way trying to see the possibility. So, I would try to change a few things about myself, like clasp my nose with a pin. I also felt that my upper lip was relatively higher and if somebody can make it droop a little, I might look like Randhir Kapoor. Every actor battles these doubts. Another thing that’s inevitable in an actor’s life is humiliation. I was so shy and conscious, that I never imagined I could ever face humiliation, but there is no escaping it. For an actor, acknowledgement and humiliation are two sides of the coin.
In an earlier interview to BT, you had spoken about how you view romance very differently in movies and in reality. Qarib Qarib Singlle is yet another film where you are playing the romantic lead a tad differently from the usual fare...
Since relationship is an intrinsic part of a human being, the society wants to take control of it, be judgmental about it and put it in a mould. We need to know that it is our right and we should celebrate the phenomena. What is love and when do you 'fall in love', is a question we toy with all our life. We all have to find our own definition for this emotion.
Personally, does saying the three words (I Love You) come easy to you?
I say it all the time. Maybe not verbally, but in my mind.
But when expressed in words, it has a deeper impact. So, do your loved ones, including your wife, want to hear those magical words?
Oh, every day! Despite being a romantic person, I have not been able to express much love. There is so much of it bottled up that I take it out through my characters.
It’s also true that the more you get love, the more you want it…
That means you are seeking acknowledgment. During a break-up, the person who has to abide by the decision of his lover to split feels more miserable. It’s the ego that doesn’t allow him to take it well. That’s not love. For me, love is not about possessing someone. As human beings, we are bound to get hurt, but what’s important is how we deal with it — whether you impose restrictions on that person or understand her, let her explore and celebrate life with somebody else.
So, is that the premise of Qarib Qarib Singlle?
Though it doesn’t reach that point, there is a kind of interaction between the man and the woman that took me back to my past. I was born in a conventional family, where we couldn’t relate to the idea of two opposite genders getting friendly. For us, it either led to love or marriage. I was furious when my sister had an affair. I would feel, ‘Main uss saale ko jaan se maar doon’. Now it occurs to me that I was conditioned according to the societal norms. This film is a departure from the Irrfan I knew. In this one, the opposite gender is treated as an equal and her being a girl doesn’t come into play. It is about how a man and a woman come together organically, and evolve in a relationship.
When you began your career, actors were slotted more easily than today. For most part, you were seen as an actor who is here to play only intense, deep roles. Was it a struggle to break away from it?
Back then, I had never imagined that I would be offered love stories. Though I had this burning desire to do such films, I was convinced ki actor toh bann jaayenge, par love stories karne ka mauka nahi milega. I felt limited, but life is full of surprises. I think the desire was so intense that I ended up doing a love story in Hollywood. Having said that, everybody is not Shoojit Sircar. Who would have imagined me with Deepika Padukone in a romantic setup like Piku? At times, an actor has to stretch the imagination of the director to show that it’s a possibility and he can do the unthinkable.
Do you approach characters in Hollywood films differently vis-a-vis Hindi films?
Every film — national or international — has its own sur and sensitivity. Even in Hollywood, some films are layered, while some aren’t. You have to hold yourself back from burdening the film with your understanding, sensibility and experience. Some films don’t need it. In the beginning of my career, people would often tell me, ‘Yaar, thoda mota mota kar, thoda zor se bol, thodi kharaab acting kar le. Bhatt saab (Mahesh Bhatt) once told me that I should spoon-feed the audience. Woh mujhe line par laane ki koshish kar rahe the to fit into the requirement of commercial cinema. Sadly, most of our films post 60s aren’t ahead of time, and they are not offering what the audience would like to watch. I guess that’s why the audience don’t buy a movie ticket unless they are assured through word-of-mouth that the film is worth a watch. Five years down the line, it will be even more difficult for Hindi cinema to bring in the audience.
While Deepika played the title character in Piku, Tabu had a strong role in Maqbool. Saba Qamar’s was pivotal in Hindi Medium; In Qarib... too, Parvathy has an equally important part. You don’t seem to mind letting the heroine take centre stage...
While rehearsing my lines and thinking about my character in Qarib..., I reached the conclusion that the heroine is the main character. I was fascinated by her part, which is fantastic and multi-shaded. The first thing I told Parvathy when I met her was, ‘Aap toh bhai hero ho iss film ke. Humein bhi jagah de dena’. If the story becomes important for me, the length of my role doesn’t matter. If the heroine happens to be a narcissistic actress, then there will be a problem. However, I haven’t had any such experience, as I have a say in the casting of my films.
Is it because the characters in our films aren’t so nuanced?
We don’t make nuanced films. Agar superstars ka bas chale toh woh vanity van ke baahar hi camera laga lega, kyunki uska apna koi role nahi hai story sunane mein. There are very few directors who don’t give a damn if there is a superstar in their films; all they care about is the story. The rest of them are guided by the star’s image. This is the reason why when two-three good actors come together for a film, it often turns out to be a handicap as everybody is trying to pull the narrative towards them, taking the soul away from the story. In our country, people go mad watching Rajinikanth on screen. They go to watch Salman Khan and not the character he is playing. They might stop watching him if he plays the character seriously. Unko unka charm chahiye kyunki hamare yahaan film dekhna mele mein jaane jaisa hai. However, there is a huge chunk of evolved audience, which is now looking for a different experience.
It’s more convenient for studios to back films with superstars, no matter how good the content of a small film might be. The stars even take a call on the director and co-actors...
That’s true. No matter how good the subject is, the studio is more concerned about the star they have on board. But the system is changing because of the audience. If you notice the trend this year, movies like Hindi Medium, Bareilly Ki Barfi (produced by Junglee Pictures and B R Studios), Newton and Lipstick Under My Burkha have worked at the box office. The mindset won’t change till the time stars are leading it; it changes when the storytelling becomes diverse and important.
But box-office figures also matter, right? And in our industry, we often end up talking more about the BO numbers than the content of the film…
We have that perception and are propagating it. But then, actors like me are there to defy the notion (laughs).
There was a time when you were uncomfortable with your looks, but today, we often hear you being described as hot...
I enjoy such wonderful comments, but I don’t take them too seriously; I am not delusional. When I decided to become an actor, I always wondered whether a face like mine will ever make it big in the industry. I was in a naive way trying to see the possibility. So, I would try to change a few things about myself, like clasp my nose with a pin. I also felt that my upper lip was relatively higher and if somebody can make it droop a little, I might look like Randhir Kapoor. Every actor battles these doubts. Another thing that’s inevitable in an actor’s life is humiliation. I was so shy and conscious, that I never imagined I could ever face humiliation, but there is no escaping it. For an actor, acknowledgement and humiliation are two sides of the coin.
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