Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham (2021) won five National Film Awards and the recognition has made the filmmaker emotional. The film’s team has decided to dedicate the honours to late actor Irrfan, who was originally supposed to essay the titular role. “All the awards we have won for the film are dedicated to Irrfan,” the 56-year-old tells us.

Irrfan died in 2020, after which actor Vicky Kaushal stepped in to play the lead. “Irrfan was supposed to be part of this film from the start. It is really unfortunate that he was unable to do so. Irrfan deserves the recognition that I am getting at the moment,” says Sircar, whose film won awards for Best Hindi Film, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Designer, Best Production Design and Best Audiography: Re-Recording (Final Mixing).

Sardar Udham is based on freedom fighter Udham Singh, who was determined to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by killing Reginald Dyer, British Punjab’s lieutenant governor at whose orders, 379 Indian civilians were killed in an indiscriminate shootout. While the film was widely appreciated by the audience, Sircar says a National Film Award gives additional encouragement.

“I would be wrong if I say that I was not hoping for it. It feels good that the film has been recognized on a national level. This kind of acknowledgement comes as a seal of courage for us. It makes us feel that we are on the right path and we should explore and evolve in that direction,” he wraps up.