Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, who collaborated with the late Irrfan Khan on Yeh Saali Zindagi, shared his thoughts on Irrfan’s skills and aspirations. In a recent interview, Mishra described Irrfan as a ‘graceful’ presence on set. However, he also noted that Irrfan was ‘selfish’ in his personal life and added that he wasn’t boring, but rather “badmaash” (naughty), as he was driven by a desire to achieve stardom and international success.
During an appearance on Mashable’s The Bombay Dream show, hosted by casting director Mukesh Chhabra, Sudhir Mishra referred to Irrfan Khan as nearly a ‘co-writer’ of their film. He also mentioned that Irrfan falls into the category of performers who are beyond conventional direction
He said, “Irrfan was never interested in his performance. He was absolutely certain that he would be able to nail it. He was more interested in observing his co-stars. He would watch Deepak Dobriyal perform,” the filmmaker said. “He knew that his performance would work only if the scene works. He obviously did his homework beforehand.”
Sudhir Mishra shared memories of Irrfan Khan, recalling how the actor would occasionally request his lines to be edited out or suggest that a scene focus more on his co-star, demonstrating remarkable selflessness in his craft.
Mishra described Irrfan as an unselfish actor who prioritized the art over personal gain. However, he noted that in his personal life, Irrfan was unapologetically ambitious, striving for stardom and international success, and had a playful, mischievous side. Despite this, Mishra emphasized that Irrfan always brought grace to his work.
In the same interview, Sudhir Mishra praised Manoj Bajpayee as a standout example of a star who effortlessly navigates between independent cinema and mainstream films.
He noted that Manoj is aware of his value, which allows him to command high fees from major studios while also collaborating with emerging filmmakers for little to no payment.
Mishra also reflected on Irrfan Khan’s versatile career, highlighting his work across various genres and sensibilities, as well as his participation in international projects like Jurassic World, Life of Pi, and The Amazing Spider-Man, among others
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