Anup Singh, who directed Irrfan Khan in Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost and The Song of Scorpions, announced a book on the late actor, on Friday, titled Irrfan: Dialogues with the Wind.
Khan, the National Award-winning actor, died on April 29, 2020, fighting a colon infection. The upcoming book is a tribute to Khan’s craft and his friendship with Singh. It will officially hit the stands on February 14, and is available here for pre-order.
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The book was unveiled on the occasion of Khan’s 54th birth anniversary. According to the official description of the book, it will offer an intimate glimpse into the working relationship between Singh and Khan “as they trudge through mutual wariness, uncertainties, and blunders to a friendship founded firmly in creativity. As we travel with them to Punjab and Rajasthan and watch them at work on their films, we see in minute detail the devotion to hard work and the openness to uncertainty that make Irrfan’s performances so hypnotising.”
A foreword by Amitabh Bachchan, who co-starred with Khan in the 2015 Shoojit Sircar film Piku, will accompany the text that is published by Copper Coin.
In his words, Bachchan described Khan as “The intensity. The responsibility of the intensity. The silent righteousness of the responsibility. The eloquent eyes of his silent righteousness. If I were to present an actor whose mere appearance could speak its mind with sophisticated elegance, I’d instantly point to Irrfan Khan.”
Khan who was diagnosed with a rare neuro endocrine tumour in 2018, has appeared in a multitude of films, both Indian and international, inculding, Maqbool (2004), The Name Sake (2006), Paan Singh Tomar (2011), Talvar (2015), and more, with his final appearance in the 2020 film Angrezi Medium. Some of his international ventures are, namely, The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Life of Pi (2012), Jurassic World (2015), and Inferno (2016).
Singh said in a statement, “But in the remembering and in the writing what ultimately affirmed itself are the joy of having known and worked with such a singular man and actor. The book is a celebration of this amazing man, a devoted friend, and an artiste who took us into the soul of what it means to be a human being in our world today.”
Khan is survived by wife Sutapa Sikdar and son Babil I Khan, who is yet to make his screen debut with the upcoming Netflix film Qala.
Sikdar called the book the best birthday gift for Khan, and said, “Anup’s book is poignant, lyrical and soulful. It resonated with me so much that I could actually see Anup and Irrfan’s interaction.”