Slumdog Millionaire actor Irrfan Khan is regarded as one of India's most versatile actors. Despite this — or perhaps because of his acting prowess — he doesn't come with the usual Bollywood star trappings. When tabloid! placed a call to his direct number in Mumbai, there were no secretaries or PAs to intercept our call. Instead his son answered his phone to tell us his father was in the restroom and that we should try again in another five minutes.
And unlike the Bollywood norm — where five minutes later could mean a five-hour delay — I was pleasantly surprised when Khan took the call, exactly five minutes later, to speak about his latest drama Paan Singh Tomar, which premieres tomorrow at the ongoing Abu Dhabi Film Festival.
This unpretentious episode was capped off when he didn't begin on an orchestrated "this-is-my-greatest-role-ever" speech either.
"I have an aversion towards blindly marketing my film. Ideally, I want to reach a place in my career where I don't say a word about my film but let the audience judge my work. I don't want to make too much noise without any content," says Khan, who has to his credit acclaimed dramas, including The Namesake, A Mighty Heart and New York, I Love You. Khan's fears about "noise without any content" may be unfounded. Paan Singh Tomar is a true story of an Indian athlete-turned-bandit, and is led by director Tigmanshu Dhulia, whose earlier gritty works include 2003's Haasil, about the corruption in student politics.
‘Engaging and entertaining'
"Tigmanshu and I go [back] a long way. Realistic films — sometimes — can be a bit boring. But he is one of the few directors who can make a realistic story engaging and entertaining. He is gifted with a unique sense of storytelling and is good at issue-based films," says Khan, who plays the title role.
Despite being a true story, Khan did not have much material to fall back on to flesh out his role.
"Very little is known about Paan Singh. Go online right now and you will not find anything on Paan Singh even though he has won several sports awards in steeplechase for India," says Khan.
Not knowing anything about the protagonist was just one of the many hurdles. Physical preparation was the next test. Khan, unlike typical Bollywood heroes, is not gifted with rippling abs, and had to train under a professional coach to get the dynamics of the hurdle marathon right.
"I had to train rigorously for months before getting it right. It's not just about running or high jumps. Not only was this role emotionally demanding, but physically too, it pushed my body to its limits. The pace and the rhythm had to be perfect," says Khan. Director Dhulia concurs. Khan injured himself twice during the shooting of the film.
Wider audience
"It was unfortunate that he broke his ligament during the shooting. But Irrfan is one of the finest actors in the country today and we managed to pull it through because we connected on a deep level," says Dhulia.
With so much effort invested in the movies, Dhulia hopes that it will find a wider audience, despite its realistic content.
"A film like Paan Singh will never be Dabangg. But Indian cinema has changed a lot. There is a new trend where there is an audience for films like Raajneeti [political thriller] and Paan Singh," says Dhulia.
Like the film, its lead actor Khan doesn't fit the stereotypical Bollywood hero mould. Unlike other Bollywood actors, Khan is a far cry from the sweet-looking hero who can dance and sing at the drop of a hat.
"The audience these days is exposed to world cinema and I think Bollywood has changed dramatically. That's why I fit in so well today."
Khan's take on …
Whether Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire changed his life: "I don't think one film can change an actor's life entirely. Yes, it gave me exposure because people who saw Slumdog Millionaire went back and saw my earlier films."
Bagging a meaty role in American TV series In Treatment: "I fell in love with my role the moment I heard the script. Working with Debra Winger was another plus. She is an amazing human being and a world-class actor."
Acting in commercial films like Hisss and Knock Out: "The idea is to experiment with all kinds of roles and films. I am also working on Thank You, which is a complete entertainer with songs and dance."
Don't Miss it
Paan Singh Tomar will premiere at the Emirates Palace at 9.30pm Wednesday. Khan's Knock Out is currently showing in cinemas, while Hisss releases on Thursday.
