Without Irrfan, Homi would’ve shelved Angrezi Medium
Not many filmmakers would put their film on hold to just wait for the desired cast to come on board. But Homi Adajania decided to do just that when Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018 and went to London for treatment just before the shoot for Angrezi Medium.
Asked how he feels about Irrfan making a comeback after a year-and-a-half, the director says, “A legend doesn’t come back. He’s always there.”
Calling it “a journey against all odds”, Adajania says he had decided to make this film only with Irrfan or not make it at all. “While the making of the movie, Irrfan was undergoing treatment, so there would be good days and bad days. There was an uncertainty about his energy levels, considering how difficult shoots can be. I did put everything on hold and decided to wait for him to make this. Dinoo (Dinesh Vijan, producer) and I were very clear that Angrezi Medium would be made with Irrfan only. And I took the risk, knowing that it would be an experience that my crew and I would cherish,” he says.
With his last film being Finding Fanny (2014), Adajania is returning to filmmaking after six years. “I cancel a project if I don’t get the cast I want or if I feel the script hasn’t shaped up to its full potential. Basically, living life is a fulltime job and in between I make films. Meanwhile, I indulge in reading, adventure sports, raising my kids, travelling, writing and much more,” the 48-year-old says.
Alongside Irrfan, the film also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madan and Dimple Kapadia, and Adajania says it was an amazing experience working with them all. “Kareena is a very intuitive actor. Acting courses through her veins and she is very easy to direct. I feel Radhika has a very bright future as an actor because she is fearless and hungry to learn. Dimple is uninhibited as an actor and more so as a human being. We both are a little crazy and love having a laugh,” Adajania says.
The film being the second part in the franchise, does he worry about the outcome? “Once I’m done and I’ve put in the best that I possibly could, I know that the film’s fate isn’t in my hands. So, I genuinely don’t get hassled by its outcome. Obviously, if the audience embraces the film and takes something enriching from the experience, that is very fulfilling for me,” he signs off.
I took the risk (of waiting for Irrfan to come on board), knowing that it would be an experience that my crew and I would cherish.
HOMI ADAJANIA FILMMAKER