On the special occasion of Irrfan Khan’s 54th birthday, who passed away on April 29, 2020, the filmmaker and author Anup Singh announces the book ‘Irrfan: Dialogues with the Wind’ as a tribute to his art and their friendship.
Anup Singh directed Irrfan on two internationally acclaimed films, Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost and The Song of Scorpions and shared a special friendship with the much-loved and celebrated actor.
The memoir carries a foreword by Amitabh Bachchan, who collaborated with Irrfan on many films, including Piku.
Big B puts it beautifully: “Irrfan Khan. 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.”
Talking about his deep bond with the late actor as a director and a friend, filmmaker Anup Singh says, “This book emerged from tremendous grief. 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.”
Sharing his thoughts on what drew him to publish the book, Sarabjeet Garcha, the Founder and Editorial Director of Copper Coin, adds, “I was struck by the poetic intensity of Anup Singh’s prose. In the book, what begins in the throes of grief transmutes into a rare luminosity that only faith in friendship can bring about. The passion Irrfan evokes through Anup’s words promises to live on.”
Delighted about the publication of the book, Irrfan Khan’s wife, Sutapa Sikdar, says, “It’s the best birthday gift for Irrfan I could dream of. Anup’s book is poignant, lyrical and soulful. It resonated with me so much that I could actually see Anup and Irrfan’s interaction. All the best!”
The cover of the book is designed by the National Award-winning filmmaker Gurvinder Singh.
Irrfan Khan brought to the art of acting an inner truth and finesse rarely seen before in Indian cinema. As a man, he won the trust and affection of everybody who came in contact with him. As an actor, he inspired a diverse range of younger actors to abandon deception and remain true to their own selves.
Anup Singh, the director of two critically acclaimed films with Irrfan, takes us on a unique journey with this exceptional man and actor. In this book, he offers an intimate glimpse into the working relationship between a director and an actor 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.
Anup Singh brings to life each encounter—whether with a hesitant co-actor or a love-struck crew member, a grove that seems to speak to Irrfan, a desert sky teeming with cranes circling overhead, a starving bullock ready to attack—that inspired and energised the gifted actor to continue his passionate dialogue with himself, his audience and the world.
Anup Singh is an award-winning writer and filmmaker, who has made three celebrated films, The Name of River (2003),Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (2013) and The Song of Scorpions (2017). The last two were with Irrfan Khan. For more than thirty years, he has also been teaching cinema at various universities, film institutions and art schools.
The book, published by Copper Coin will be officially released on 14 February but can be pre-ordered.
