New Delhi: The film ‘Sardar Udham’ was originally meant to star the legendary actor Irrfan Khan in the lead role of Udham Singh. Director Shoojit Sircar and Irrfan had been working on the project for years. Both were passionate about bringing this revolutionary’s story to the big screen, but due to Irrfan’s illness and tragic passing, the role eventually went to Vicky Kaushal, who honored the role with a critically acclaimed performance.
After Sardar Udham won five National Awards, including Best Hindi Film, Shoojit Sircar made a heart-touching dedication to his friend, Irrfan Khan. PTI quoted the director as saying, “Me, my team, my producer Ronnie Lahiri, Sheel, Vicky Kaushal and the entire team (of ‘Sardar Udham’) want to dedicate this National award to the late Irrfan Khan.”
“I miss him every day. I missed him in this film but Vicky Kaushal gave one of his finest performances. He also dedicated his performance to Irrfan Khan. Irrfan has created a vacuum in this industry and we are unable to digest the fact that he is not there. He is missed, that caliber of actor we need in the industry,” the filmmaker said.
The journey of Sardar Udham took over 20 years from concept to screen. Irrfan was deeply involved in the early stages, and Sircar shared that the actor’s passion for the project remained strong. Even after his passing, Sircar feels that Irrfan’s spirit lives on in the film,”Irrfan was a big part of Sardar Udham from its inception. His influence is still present in the film, and I think about him every time it’s mentioned.”
Shoojit Sircar, in a panel discussion at IFP, credited Satyajit Ray as one of his biggest influences, referring to him as his “guru.” IANS quoted him as saying, “Satyajit Ray has been my guru and still I think his films are so much influence in my life and in my films also. Apart from that, I have watched a lot of Oliver Stone films, Fellini, Buñuel ( Luis Buñuel), Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, there are many. So, at that time, I think those films didn’t have this kind of exhibition, this kind of distribution.”
The National Award-Winning director is now gearing up for his next theatrical release. The untitled film, starring Abhishek Bachchan, is scheduled for a theatrical release at the end of November. This upcoming project is expected to be another slice-of-life story, capturing Sircar’s signature grounded storytelling.