Balancing Bollywood and Hollywood

Actor Irrfan Khan on his roles in two of the world’s most successful film industries.

MUMBAI:

Accomplished actor Irrfan Khan will spend the rest of this year living out of a suitcase, as he will be shooting for two films  — Jurassic World and Piku.

This week he leaves for the US to begin shooting for Colin Trevorrow-directed fourth part of the phenomenal Jurassic Park franchise. The film is to be shot in Hawaii and New Orleans.

“It’s a brief schedule to begin with, though my role is anything but brief. At the moment, all I can tell you on record is that it’s a pivotal role. I am very excited about the project. It’s the second American global franchise after Spiderman that I am part of,” said Irrfan.

The remaining part of this year would see Irrfan shuttling between two projects in two continents.

“After the first brief schedule of Jurassic World, I’ll be back in India to shoot for Shoojit Sircar’s Piku. I’ll complete one long schedule of Piku and then return to the US for a long schedule of Jurassic World. So it’d continue for the rest of the remaining part of the year.”

The actor says he is exceptionally excited about working with Amitabh Bachchan in Piku.



“You keep asking why we’ve never worked together before. It’s not as if I didn’t get the opportunity earlier. I was offered Mehul Kumar’s Kohram with Bachchan saab. But I wanted to wait for the right film that would do justice to our presence.”

Irrran reveals he has some amazing moments to share with Big B and Deepika Padukone in Sircar’s film.

“Piku boasts of some unique writing. It’s one of the best scripts I’ve been offered. Bachchan saab gets to do a completely new character. I’ve most of my scenes with him. It’s a very mellow down-to-earth slice-of-life drama like The Lunchbox,” said Irrfan.

Irrfan bagged the best actor award for his performance in The Lunchbox at the Macau Film festival. He’s impressed by the competition that he faced to bag the award.

“At any festival the competition that you are up against always matters. Here I was pitched against a formidable actor Toni Chiu Wai Leung whom I’ve always admired. I also met one of my all-time favourite film-makers Johnny To. I consider him the master of storytelling,” he added.

“During the shooting of Life Of Pi, Ang Lee and I had lengthy discussions on his amazing mastery over the language of cinema. In Macau, I got a chance to talk to him. I guess I am blessed,” he said.

Irrfan is proud of his journey in filmdom. “Fortunately, I keep getting the chance to re-invent myself each year. I am very lucky to get roles like The Lunchbox and Piku,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2014.

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