QUIET GRACE

He’s is already one of India’s most versatile actors—and this year has been particularly memorable

Irrfan Khan continues to successfully juggle dual careers in Indian and Hollywood films. But this year has been particularly memorable. Hindi Medium—the Saket Chaudhary-directed comedy in which wealthy parents pretend to be poor to get their kid admitted to a posh Englishmedium school in Delhi—was a surprise summer hit. Khan credits the “incredibility” of the story and the conviction with which it was told among the reasons for its success.

He is excited with the opportunities coming his way. Irrfan recently wrapped up a project with rising South Indian talent Dulquer Salmaan. He is glad to have done Puzzle, which fulfilled a “longing to do a film about relationships and not a franchise one with superheroes and dinosaurs”. He starts shooting soon for the Amazon Prime India’s original series The Ministry, which will mark his streaming TV debut. Then it’s onward to a Vishal Bhardwaj-written drama with Deepika Padukone.

Before all that, on November 10, he returns to the big screen with a more romantic comedy in Qarib Qarib Singlle. Directed by Tanuja Chandra and starring acclaimed South actress Parvathy in her Bollywood debut, the film follows a man and a woman through a whirlwind, misadventure-laden trip in which they retrace their past relationships. “This is about that stage in a relationship when two people are [still] excited and curious about each other” before the mystery is gone, he said.

Qarib Qarib Singlle is another film in which Khan is working with a female director—a formula that has reaped dividends for him before. Two of Khan’s finest performances include Mira Nair’s The Namesake and Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar. “Other than being sensitive to women characters they are naturals at being able to think in different directions at the same time,” he said.

The female perspective also suits the story.

Written by Chandra and Gazal Dhaliwal, Qarib Qarib Singlle enabled Khan to explore a relationship in which gender isn’t an overriding factor. “In North India we are very close-minded as far as girls are concerned,” says Khan, who was born and raised in Rajasthan. “Whatever understanding you had is through films and there the concept of a platonic relationship just wasn’t there.” It was beginning with the National School of Drama in Delhi that Khan was more informed towards varied gender roles. “It’s how you interact and gel with each other,” he said. “Let it grow organically. That was my take on the story.”

IRRFAN KHAN does well with female directors— The Namesake and Talvar saw two of his finest performances