Actor Irrfan succumbed to his illness in the summer of 2020 on April 29. Today, on the actor’s birth anniversary, his friends, family and close associates from the film industry are reminiscing the lovely times and memories shared with one of Indian cinema’s finest actors. Tigmanshu Dhulia, who had a special bond with the actor and had directed him in films like Haasil (2003) and Paan Singh Tomar (2012), talking to BT on an emotional note, says, “Both Irrfan and I don’t remember birthdays easily. Naa usko yaad rehta tha na mujhe. I don’t know how I feel and how I should feel right now. It’s weird. Aaj Irrfan ka birthday hai and he is not here. It feels strange that I’ll never be able to wish him again. There is a void that I realise will now be a part of our lives for as long as we live. The work we did together continues to have a life of its own. I feel so happy that we worked together on some of his most memorable works. It’s like a huge benchmark that he created and I measure everyone’s performance with that. I can never say goodbye to Irrfan.”

Irrfan and Tigmanshu met at the National School of Drama (NSD), where the actor was Tigmanshu’s senior. “I knew a boy studying at NSD and he had called me in to see a play, Fujiyama. That’s the first time I saw Irrfan and Sutapa Sikdar in action and was impressed with all that I saw. Since there weren’t too many students in the institution at that time, I had a chance to acquaint myself with Irrfan, who was a shy and introverted guy. He lived in one of the smallest rooms in one of those corners of the hostel building and wouldn’t share it with anyone. Sutapa was his girlfriend then. She was into direction and he was into acting. When I saw them display their craft, I was blown away with what I saw. Towards the end of his term in the institution, we had started bonding over our love for certain actors, cinema and storytellers,” recalls the filmmaker.

Tigmanshu and Irrfan worked together for the first time on a TV show called Hum Bambai Nahi Jayenge. After assisting Shekhar Kapur, Tigmanshu found himself in the director’s chair for this show. “A channel was being launched in 1993. This show was a collaboration, which included Irrfan, Saurabh Shukla and Manoj Bajpayee among others. That was the first time I directed Irrfan. He played a drama school teacher and the show was loosely based on the life we had seen at the NSD,” recalls the filmmaker, whose last directorial with Irrfan was Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns (2013). “Irrfan and I were talking about doing something together but he had a string of commitments to fulfil. By the time those were completed, Irrfan was diagnosed with the ailment. I guess what we had spoken about will stay deep inside my heart for as long as I breathe,” says Tigmanshu.

Stating that Irrfan Khan was the first choice for Yaara, director Tigmanshu Dhulia reveals why he had to zero in on younger actors
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 29, 2020)

They have made some memorable films together, including Paan Singh Tomar (2012) that helped Irrfan realise his long-cherished dream of winning the National Award. It is not surprising then that Tigmanshu Dhulia had originally envisioned his upcoming film, Yaara, with the late actor in the lead.

"When we were casting, I had approached Irrfan to play the role that has now been essayed by Vidyut [Jammwal]. Irrfan was excited when I narrated the script to him, but we couldn't take it forward," recounts Dhulia, whose directorial debut Haasil (2003) featured the actor.

The problem arose in the form of the script that narrates the story of four friends, who enter the world of organised crime, through four decades. "I had to show the characters' journeys from their early 20s to their 50s. We realised it would be impossible to depict Irrfan in his 20s. It is easy to make young actors look old, but doing the reverse is difficult," says the director, who then zeroed in on Jammwal, Amit Sadh, Vijay Varma and Kenny Basumatary.

Set to drop on ZEE5, Yaara is an official adaptation of the French movie, Les Lyonnais (2011). "I have never made remakes because I believe there is no dearth of good stories. But when I watched this film, I immediately fell in love with the story and decided to adapt it to the Indian setting." As he gears up for the movie's digital premiere, Dhulia feels that the transition to OTT platforms is advantageous to filmmakers. "We no longer have to stress about getting a certain number of screens, or box-office numbers. Viewers can watch the film any time they want, and movies, in turn, will enjoy a long shelf life."

Even as he is glad that Yaara is seeing the light of day, director Tigmanshu Dhulia rues movie was designed for the big screen
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 6, 2020)

Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has mixed feelings about the digital premiere of his film, Yaara. While he is relieved that the Vidyut Jammwal and Shruti Haasan-starrer is finally seeing the light of day after being stuck in the cans for over three years, the director admits he had hoped for a big-screen release.

"Only the producer can answer why the film was stuck all this while. I believe we have no option but to release our films on OTT platforms amid the Coronavirus pandemic. I am thrilled that people will be able to watch this film finally. Despite the delay, it will not look dated because the story is set in a certain period," he states.

Yaara is an official adaptation of the 2011 French film, Les Lyonnais. The movie, also featuring Amit Sadh and Vijay Varma, revolves around four friends who enter the world of organised crime. Even as several big-ticket films are seeking a digital release, Dhulia acknowledges that he had envisioned his story unfolding on the 70mm screen. "I feel bad [about the direct-to-web release] of Yaara because it was made for a theatrical release. It is not a concept-driven film. It was mounted on a big scale and shot across nine locations, including Bhopal, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Mumbai, Dehradun, Kathmandu and Romania," he says.

The director adds that the medium plays a crucial role in determining narrative style. "I would have made Yaara differently [for the digital platform] because OTT is a mix of films and television. In that case, the writing, blocking of scenes and the treatment of the script would have changed drastically."

As told to Upala KBR, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; April 30, 2020)

Irrfan's passing is a huge loss for the entire film fraternity, but I have lost a dear friend today. We were destined to be friends. I was 19 when I first met him at the National School of Drama, where I was a few years junior to him. Since then, Irrfan has played different roles in my life — sometimes he was a pal, other times, an elder brother. There were times when he would push me to work harder, like a mentor.

Not many know that he was a part of my first directorial venture in Mumbai — a show called Hum Bambai Nahin Jayenge for Business India TV (BITV). Shekhar Kapur was the creative head of the channel, and asked me to direct the show. I reached out to Irrfan, who had come to Mumbai four years before me, and that was the beginning [of our professional collaboration]. We worked on several serials for Star Bestsellers, and finally collaborated on Haasil (2003).

He was a gentle human being who was so evolved in his ideas. He was an outdoor guy who expressed concern for the environment. In fact, he used to love flying kites. Whenever we needed time to prepare for a shot, we used to hand him a kite. He would happily indulge in it till we were ready. He was a charming, happy-go-lucky guy.

Over the last few months, we could not speak regularly because he had stopped using his cell phone. So, I would keep in touch with his wife Sutapa. I visited him at the hospital on Tuesday. He was unconscious but breathing; it was heart-wrenching to see him like that. Right now, I am numb; it will take time to process his loss. I will miss a friend with whom I could have any discussion without the fear of being judged. I will miss hearing his insightful views and taking his advice on matters.

Purab Kohli, Rasika Duggal and Tigmanshu Dhulia come clean on where they stand on cheating in marriage, the subject of their brand new web show
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; November 24, 2019)

"What excited me about Dr Meera, my character, was how she reacts when she finds out that her husband is cheating on her. It's quite surprising," says the toast of digital entertainment, Rasika Duggal about her new show, Out Of Love, that's streaming on Hotstar. "Of course, there is heartbreak, like there is when you get too attached to something, in this case, it's her marriage. I am also like that in person. I get over-involved, so it was easy for me to channel Dr Meera's pain."

Akarsh, played by the surprisingly brooding Purab Kohli, who we've seen mostly in upbeat roles, believes all's well with the relationship, physically and emotionally. "He just has a lot more love to give and he is giving it now to a new person. In the beginning, you might view him as the bad guy, but you understand him as the story carries on," Kohli thinks.

For director Tigmanshu Dhulia, the man behind realistic films like Paan Singh Tomar, the challenge was to create a non-judgmental story about a happening that is now commonplace. "It [infidelity] happens, it is prevalent. I think after 30, we all feel [like straying] at some point, even if just a desire. I haven't dealt with an emotional subject like this earlier, and I decided, let's make it a thriller, so that every kind of viewer enjoys it," he says about the story set in Coonoor, a hill station in Tamil Nadu.

It's an adult relationship subject, and more than relevant to discuss but that doesn't mean the choice of story isn't frowned upon. Duggal observes that although everyone seems to agree that cheating is rampant, the shame and embarrassment associated with it make it an awkward issue to chat about. "I think it's possible to love more than one person, or multiple people. It just is. You can't dictate [monogamy]," Duggal states emphatically, to which Kohli adds, "Of course, love can happen [outside of marriage]. We are all attracted to other people, but to act or not act on that love, is a choice that sort of says whether you are part of civilised society or not."

To talk of cheating would mean we would have to start at the beginning and debate the institution of marriage—one that could be losing traction in the modern world. Duggal, who is a queen at playing dark characters—and Meera is no different—laughs, "I believe in love, and I think people believe in it even more these days, but they don't need the validation that comes with marriage. Love, everyone wants."

Kohli, who has been married twice, says that because his parents divorced when he was 21, he knew that a respectable separation was a better choice than to let an unsuccessful marriage carry on. "My ex-wife and I decided that we couldn't do this anymore. We are still good friends." And despite this, he hasn't lost faith in marriage. "I did it again. This time, my partner, Lucy, and I were together for long, and even had a baby before we made it formal. By then, I knew I was ready for marriage, or what we call a connection with one person forever."

Dhulia, speaks as a man of experience when he says, "Marriage grounds you. It makes you a better person."

For now, the three want the audience to watch their show minus judgment, knowing that life is far from black and white. Duggal says, "I want them to recognise Meera's struggle, her pain, relate to and empathise with her. But while doing this, if they also relate to Akarsh, that would be great."

Divya Kaushik and Abhimanyu Mathur (BOMBAY TIMES; August 15, 2019)

Though it is the Red Fort where the Prime Minister unfurls the tricolour every Independence Day, curiously enough, it is the India Gate that has come to signify patriotism in most films and TV shows. Tigmanshu Dhulia is one of those rare filmmakers who have shot inside the Red Fort, an opportunity he got while making Raag Desh, a film based on the famous Indian National Army (INA) trials.

According to Tigmanshu, the Red Fort does not feature so prominently on the screen because of Bollywood’s laziness when it comes to research. “This has happened recently. I think it is basically ignorance. Not many filmmakers are inclined towards history because more research is needed there. Research is a recent discipline in Hindi films, it wasn’t there earlier,” says the director.

A student of history before he became a filmmaker, Tigmanshu delves into how before the India Gate was even constructed, it was the Red Fort that stood tall as the symbol of India’s freedom struggle. “India Gate is publicised in a certain way in popular culture. Maybe it is because of that that whenever we speak of freedom or anything nationalistic, we show the India Gate. But when Netaji was at Bahadur Shah Zafar’s grave in Rangoon, he pledged that aapko main Hindustan wapas leke chalunga. Hum aapko Red Fort mein baithayenge. This is a fact. It was always the Red Fort. Dilli Chalo was Lal Qila Chalo,” says Tigmanshu.

The director-actor has had a strong bond with the Indian freedom struggle. His grandfather was a freedom fighter. “During the Quit India Movement, he was in prison for four years. The legacy of that period is the eczema that he contracted there, which has stayed in the family. I also have it,” the filmmaker says with a smile. It was only natural for someone who grew up with that background to look for stories associated with the freedom struggle to show on the silver screen, and this quest culminated in Raag Desh, which brought him to the Red Fort.

The director admits that though he lived in Delhi for years, it was Raag Desh that introduced him to the history of the monument. He shares, “When I went for the recce, it was very overwhelming. Uske pehle main saat saal Delhi raha hoon, three of them with NSD, but Red Fort kabhi gaya nahin tha. I had gone as a tourist but I hadn’t seen that side (the barracks) even once. But when I had to make the film, then I went there. The uniforms of Prem Sehgal, Shahnawaz Khan, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are all kept there. It was overwhelming to see that, to think that they must have walked there at one time. It was a great experience.”

Inside the Red Fort, Tigmanshu shot at the very place where the barracks that housed the INA officers once existed. That is when he learnt about the significance of the monument for the British. He tells us, “The Britishers had this idea that these guys are trying to challenge us, so let’s set an example, let’s have the trial at the Red Fort as it was an iconic place. Bahadur Shah Zafar ko unhone dethrone kiya. They wanted to set an example by putting all INA prisoners inside the Red Fort and decided that the trials will happen there. They were so foolish that they chose these three officers – one Sikh, one Hindu and one Muslim – which was kind of representing the entire country. That went completely against the Britishers.”

Tigmanshu says the INA Trials were the final nail in the coffin for the British Raj. He recounts an incident from then to prove his point. “When the trials were taking place at the Red Fort, the three officers used to live there. Red Fort had barracks where the museum stands now. From the barracks, the officers were taken to the room where the trials took place in a truck. This one time, a British officer and his Gorkha soldiers were leading the officers. This scene is in the film too. The British officer pushes the INA officers. Gurbaksh palat ke ek maarta hai usko. Aur koi bhi Gorkha soldier uss officer ki madad ke liye nahin aata. Uss din inko lagta hai ki yeh kya ho gaya! That was a big setback. Even Nehru ji spoke about it. That triggered the thought among British that if soldiers are not with us, who will save us? We need to get out of here. Otherwise, Churchill had openly said during World War II ki woh India nahin chhodne wale. Woh toh Labour party jeet gayi wahan aur INA hua yahan and that changed everything,” he says.

Tigmanshu further says that even Clement Attlee, who was the British Prime Minister when India became independent, attributed the independence to the INA. He shares, “Clement Attlee, who was the British Prime Minister for one term (from 1945-51), had come to India on an unofficial visit once. The Governor of Bengal (P B Chakraborthy, the then Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court and the acting Governor of Bengal) invited him for tea. There, he was asked, ‘What do you think was the role of the Indian National Congress in independence?’ He just smiled and said, ‘It was not the Indian National Congress but the INA that sort of propelled us to leave India.’”

The director feels that the Red Fort and the history of freedom struggle associated with it symbolise religious harmony. He elaborates, “Red Fort stands as a symbol of an India that was there before the Britishers arrived and 1857 symbolises the Hindu-Muslim unity in this country. Woh jo mutiny hui thi, woh soldiers Hindu thay, Muslim thay, sabko East India Company ke khilaf ladna tha aur unhone bola Badadur Shah Zafar humara raja hai, toh sabne bola, Dilli chalo, Red Fort pahuncho. Red Fort humare Hindustan ki integrity, secular nature ko represent karta hai.”

In fact, during his research for Raag Desh, Tigmanshu came across several incidents related to the freedom struggle and the INA, which showed the secular fabric of the movement. He shares his favourite, “Burma had many south Indians at that time. There were Sikhs also. Netaji went to one south Indian temple. He was accompanied by some Muslim soldiers and the temple priest refused to let them enter. Netaji ne kaha mujhe toh yahan poore Hindustan ke liye puja karni hai. When he said that, the temple priest called them aur tika lagaya sabko. When they all came out of the temple, Netaji asked everyone to wipe off the tika from their foreheads and said the day we would start wearing religion on our faces, India will be divided. It was such a big thing. Don’t flaunt your religion. Religion is a very personal thing, aur aaj dekho kya haal hai.”

It was at the Red Fort during the INA Trials that the Hindu Mahasabha, Muslim League, and the Indian National Congress came together for the first time in support of one cause. The director sees certain lessons in this for the current populace in this fragmented climate. He tells us, “The right history was taught to us and we are a product of that era, but if that history is changed then there won’t be any meaning left in icons like Red Fort. People will forget 1857. In earlier days, roti and lotus flower had certain significance. Roti symbolises the moon or crescent and lotus flower has been Lord Vishnu’s symbol. So if one village wanted to convey it to the other that they are united, then one man from the village would carry a roti and a lotus flower. Even if that person would get caught, no one would realise what it was. So they started a system with these elements that were religious symbols, but the motivation was not religious. Kamaal ka daur tha 1857!”

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; July 12, 2017)

Tigmanshu Dhulia’s last directorial venture was the Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha-starrer Bullett Raja (2013), which failed to live up to expectations. The maker of the National Award-winning film, Paan Singh Tomar (2012) and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011) is back on the scene after a gap with a slice of history, Raag Desh, which releases later this month.

“I hope there are expectations, and I hope I live up to them this time,” the filmmaker tells mid-day, adding, “To make a historical, you need to be interested in the subject and be its student. Not everyone can make one.” Dhulia’s film is based on the 1945 Indian National Army (INA) trials, which saw the court martial of officers Colonel Prem Sahgal, Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, Major General Shah Nawaz Khan for treason.

Dhulia believes that it is great performances and not big names that decide the fate of a historical, and backs his star cast comprising Kunal Kapoor, Mohit Marwah and Amit Sadh. “In a historical, it is better to work with actors. When you work with a star, the audience sees the name, not the character. It is easier to mould actors into the characters,” he says, adding that his love for history inspired him to make this film. “I studied history at Allahabad university. You need to do extensive research to make such a film. Luckily, we had visual references too. I was keen to tell people about the role that Netaji Subhas Chandra played in the INA.”

Dhulia was keen to shoot at army outposts, but was denied permission following the surgical strikes in September 2016. He settled for makeshift studios in Dehradun, Delhi and Mumbai instead. The filmmaker plans to release the drama on July 28, following which it will also hit the small screen as a six-part mini-series. “We can reach out to a bigger audience,” he reasons.

Raag Desh clashes with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar and Anees Bazmee’s Mubarakan, but Dhulia says he has limited options. “Every week, several films are lined up. I wish the Film & Television Producers’ Guild of India would take up the issue and segregate releases accordingly.”

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; November 28, 2013)

Tigmanshu Dhulia, 46, is an actor, writer and director, who is a proud alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD). He considers himself an emotional fool and gullible, but has tremendous faith in humanity. He’s most attached to his daughter, but relies emotionally on himself. In a highly competitive industry, he considers only Irrfan his friend. He is a leftist, who thrives on launching talent. Ahead of his upcoming action thriller, Bullett Raja, he talks to Bombay Times about the unsatisfied Irrfan, what impressed him about Saif Ali Khan and why he remembers his father everyday. Excerpts:
 
Why did you think of joining the National School of Drama? I am a Brahmin born and brought up in Allahabad. Allahabad at that time was an education centre and culturally very active, be it in writing, theatre, music (including Western), politics or literature. Many big Hindi writers, be it Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Mahadevi Verma, Sumitranandan Pant and many more, are from there. I had an English music band called Paranoids, where I was the lead singer. I also did a lot of theatre there, as both my older brothers were into theatre. My father was the judge of Allahabad High Court and my mother, a Sanskrit professor. I had a very liberal kind of atmosphere in the house. My parents were both film buffs and would always discuss politics at the dining table. I too got involved in a political leftist group and still consider myself a leftist. While I just scraped through my studies till Class X, post that, I flourished when I took up Arts. I loved History. And then, a big change happened. A train called Prayagraj Express was launched that connected Allahabad to Delhi in an overnight journey. It changed Allahabad. Students started studying in Delhi University and young lawyers moved to practise in the Delhi courts. The cream of Allahabad had shifted. In my first year of college, my father had a heart attack and died. My mother had to support the family and my oldest brother joined the navy. I travelled out of UP for the first time in my life when I was 19, to go to Delhi to check out NSD. Coming from Allahabad, I fell in love with the liberal atmosphere there — the late-night discussions the students had and the fact that girls and boys were hanging out together having cigarettes and tea — and I decided I wanted to come here. I was selected in the first attempt on merit. Of course, my singing helped and I remember singing Annie’s Song (You Fill Up My Senses) in my viva.
 
Talk about your father? His death affected me very badly as he loved me the most. I saw all the best films with him. He would take me to watch The Godfather and All The President’s Men, when I was in just Class VIII even though at that age I did not understand them. But he would explain them to me. He liked the fact that I could sing well. All those conversations over the dinner table he had made me a leftist and compassionate.
 
How did you meet your wife? My wife Tulika and I had been dating since we were in Class VIII. She used to live opposite my house in Allahabad. Her father, coincidentally, got transferred to Noida when I was in NSD, and wanted to marry Tulika off. I was just 22 and had not even completed my NSD course when she ran away from home and we got married. She is now a homemaker and is far more aesthetically evolved than me and did the costumes for Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster.  

How did you sustain yourself post marriage? I passed out of NSD, but, at that time, films did not happen out of Delhi. I was lucky that the month I passed out, Ketan Mehta was making Sardar Patel for which he hired NSD’s design teacher Robin Das as the art director. I was terrible in art and could not even draw a straight line. But since I was interested in history, I was taken in to do the research. For me, doing a film was a big thing as before that, I had not even seen a film camera. Robin Das was not very well-organised, so we had to leave the film after the first schedule. I can never forget, how Ketan Mehta, being such a big director, supported me. He is a great guy. I had just got married and had really worked hard for the film. I must have slept six hours in 16 days. Ketan saw it and knew I could not be blamed because my boss was disorganised. We were shooting at Anand and they were giving money and I was happy that I would get some money. But my boss Robin told the accountant, ‘Don’t give him any money. We will go to Delhi and settle it there.’ I started crying and went to Ketan. He held my hand, scolded everybody, got my reservation done and I came back with the money to my wife in Delhi. That was the first time I had earned money.
 
How did you become a filmmaker? Being from NSD, I knew theatre artistes from across the country and was taken as the casting director for Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen. While casting, I also started assisting him and he advised me to move to Mumbai. My oldest brother Himanshu, who is like a father to me was at that time based in Mumbai, and my wife and I moved in with him. I started directing TV shows and had written the script of Haasil. I went to almost every producer, but no one was willing to produce it. The climax was to be shot at the Kumbh Mela that was coming to an end, but I still had no producer. Amita Sehgal, who knew my script, got some money from her home, we took the actors and took the shot in the mela and edited a two-minute film that we showed to producers. Vijay Jindal liked it and decided to produce it and I became a filmmaker. After Haasil, I went through the worst phase of my life between 2004 and 2009, when I would start films, but they would all get shelved. While I always had a temper, there were three good things that happened. One, I never became bitter, two, my wife never lost faith in me and three, I started believing in astrology. I was going through rahu ki mahadasha at that time. Now guru ki mahadasha chal rahi hai for the next 16 years. So I know these years will be my best, though, of course, I have seen a lot and I’m insecure about failure even more now.
 
You have introduced a lot of new talent. Being a leftist, at its core, is about equality. In a sense, launching new talent is also that. You feel you are a part of somebody else’s success. I also feel very happy with Irrfan’s and Shah Rukh’s success. Shah Rukh mein jitna dilli panna dikhta hai, kisi mein nahi dikhta. I have worked with him in Dil Se as I was the dialogue writer. Even that time he was a star. But I can't tell you how humble he was. While shooting with Mani Ratnam in Ladakh, there was no vanity van and we were all travelling in a bus. During lunch time, Shah Rukh would sleep in the isle. We would all be jumping over him to pass, but he would never complain. I like his success.
 
Let’s talk about Irrfan who has been a part of almost all your films? He was two years senior to me at NSD. He was the black sheep of his class and was not considered a good actor. He had no friends except his wife Sudipta, who was his batchmate, and they were a couple from that time. Irrfan chose to stay in the worst room in the hostel in one corner as he was such an introvert. It is only while acting in his diploma production in the third year, when I saw his power as an actor. Even now, he is always hungry for good work and there is no better actor than him in the world. He is like a brother to me. He is intense, brooding, irritating and never satisfied. How his wife stays with him only she knows. Till date, I always have to prove to him that I am a talented director even though he has done Haaasil, Charas, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster and Paan Singh Tomar with me. We are both insecure about our friendship with each other. And I feel possessive if he works with another director. He is my only friend in the industry and I can discuss my insecurities with him, both personal and professional. He knows everything about me. As an actor, you need to save yourself from conditioning and need to be a little careless, reckless and uninhibited, otherwise you become boring. Irrfan is a very outdoors person. He loves flying kites. If he is angry with me and I tell him, ‘Let’s go and fly a kite,’ he will be kicked. His life’s biggest high is flying a kite. We both love going to the jungle. He loves to cook and he makes the best yakhani (Kashmiri pulao). He was a part of Bullett Raja too, but due to another prior commitment, could not do the film.
 
Tell us something you observed about Saif while shooting Bullett Raja? Saif would always read a book between shots. We have seen enough actors pretending to read as they want to show that they are intellectually evolved. But Saif would not only read, he would also write, so I asked him what he was writing. He said, ‘I am trying to write down words whose meanings I don’t understand, so that when I go back I can look up the meanings of these words.’ Saif's English is really good and yet he was trying to improve his vocabulary. It really impressed me.
 
Your father died before seeing your success. Do you miss him in your life? I do his puja everyday. Whenever I achieve something in my life, I remember him the most. Whatever I am or the fact that I became a filmmaker is only because of him. When I did my first play in Allahabad, I was in Class XI and had just started smoking. After the play, I had lit up a cigarette when I saw my father coming in to congratulate me. Seeing me smoke, he just turned back. And I saw it. I feel so sad that he was coming to congratulate me and just because I was having a cigarette he wasn’t able to. That’s the only time he could’ve congratulated me in my life — he died before seeing my achievement.