Interview | Irrfan Khan: I’m not even attached to my own name

It’s not easy to please Irrfan Khan. With a film or a conversation. He admits, “After the fourth interview, I’m almost done, exhausted and ready to retire.” The actor is currently busy promoting his next Qarib Qarib Singlle and clearly isn’t happy. “It takes more effort on my part to finish the promotions than a film,” he laughs as we sit over a cuppa coffee, to discuss cinema and his choices, at length. Over the next half-an-hour, Irrfan explains why he’s steered his career the way he has, and what he plans to do, here on. Excerpts:

People start expecting more from actors like you or Tabu even if it’s a masala film that you are acting in. Does that put pressure on you?

It becomes a pressure when it’s not your personal need as well. If you also want that as well, you are drawn to that and you seek it. It comes naturally to you and you thrive on that. If I was only looking for masala films, and fortunately or unfortunately, I get acknowledgment in content-driven films, then it becomes a problem. Phir main kahanse lau? Mujhe samajh hi nahi hai iski. I would feel that okay, these films have worked but mujhe pata nahi kaise and then, it becomes a pressure. Not now, because I am expecting and looking out for these kind of roles, which again the audience is expecting from me.

When you started off, there weren’t as many options for actors like you. But that has changed over the years...

It’s also because of the changing times. The Indian audience is exposed to world cinema today. That’s why Indians today are eager to see their own actors doing films with diverse storytelling. The perception is definitely changing in that context. It’s a very interesting and a great change for us. Thank God that the audience is expecting this. If they only aren’t opening up to the idea, then what would we do with ourselves. Also, the audience is increasing for these kind of subjects. Because of Netflix, Amazon and everything else, you suddenly see so many great actors coming suddenly out of the blue. There’s a film, there are series, there are auditions you see and you feel where are these actors coming from. There’s this mahaul that’s growing and I am very happy about it.

So you’re comfortable being an actor and not a star?

I don’t believe in all these categories. It’s the compulsion for the media to give certain tags to actors. Sometimes, they just create a vocabulary and hashtags for people. It doesn’t matter to me. Even if people don’t call me by my own name, I am okay with it. I’m not even attached to my own name. If that doesn’t make a difference, then why would it matter whether people refer to me as an actor or as a star.

Previously, the box office wasn’t the only parameter of success, but today, that’s the be-all and end-all. Has your perception of success and failure changed, too?

It was never about the box office. And it will never be. Chahein even if I have done a film which is worth Rs 1000 crore at the box office, I will never ever judge my films vis-a-vis numbers. I don’t remember numbers. I don’t keep a record of all that. Do we talk about how much Dilip Kumar’s films made at the box office? I know him because of what his films did to me. That’s how I remember films. This whole box office talk is created by the media. The PR of a movie has created this monster on a wrong scale. It’s definitely important for movies to do a particular kind of business, so that you can keep on making films and the producer doesn’t lose money. That is also just one aspect of filmmaking. A movie’s success is in the time and its shelf life.

Are you happy that the gap between conventional and unconventional films has slowly been merged?

We were trying for a change like this when I was doing a film called Haasil. We kept saying that people shouldn’t consume cinema as art cinema or parallel cinema. When I was asked this question about when I will be doing films in the commercial space, I always said and I will still say that Haasil, Maqbool and Paan Singh Tomar were always commercial cinema for me. I’m here to change the definitions and perceptions for myself and for others as well. That’s what I will keep doing. I won’t fall into one category and definition.

Hindi Medium was a huge hit. Now, Qarib Qarib Singlle is also in that space and the audience’s reception might be as good for this, too...

Again, it depends on how the film works. It could give an impression that it’s a feel-good film. But unless and until people feel happy after watching it, you don’t know. Yes, our audience tends to watch more celebratory films that don’t make you think. A large number of audiences is like that — they just want timepass. But I’m doing films which are timepass but aren’t fluff. These films should interact with you. Trust me, there are aspects of QQS which will resonate with each of us. I can’t do a uni-dimensional film which is just timepass and nothing else.

How has your choices with films changed in the last two years?

Honestly, the way the audience has reacted to my last few films has given a lot of clarity and confidence to what I should do. That is not superficial. One thing which life has taught me is that I can’t afford to do things, just fot the sake of money. If I need fame, I cannot pretend that I’m doing films for other reasons. I like taking things head-on. I have become more conscious about doing my kind of cinema, where it matters to me and it isn’t just a matter of survival anymore. It’s not like I will do a film thinking that it might do great at the box office and give me star status. I don’t want to be in that situation. How it has changed me? Now, I consider fame and money a by-product only. Earlier, they were the bigger reasons, when I was struggling. And, to all the actors who are struggling now, I want to tell them, yes, money is important but you shouldn’t make it a primary goal. It will follow anyway. What you need to listen to, is your inner voice and your passion. That would be your real achievement or earning.

Have you ever felt that because of your intensity as an actor, you don’t get offered too many comedies?

I miss comedies, now. I had been wanting to do a comedy. I was offered a few films, even some Anees Bazmee films. But I had done those kind of comedies previously. I was waiting for something diversely different from what I had done. Which is why I picked Hindi Medium. Yes, I want to do a lot more comedy films but I also get bored very easily with msyelf. That can be a blessing in disguise, so I cannot keep on repeating same things. I need to surprise myself.

Do you discuss your films with your wife and son?

I don’t take their suggestions but when they happen to know about a film or they watch a trailer, they do have their opinion. Sometimes, it’s completely opposite of what I’m expecting (Smiles) Their opinion matters a lot. But I feel they don’t have enough time for me to be able to sit them down and make them read my scripts. They are busier than me. For what I don’t know! I am fortunate to get their chunk of time with me. It’s not like I don’t have time for them. It’s the other way round (Laughs).

Have they ever said you shouldn’t have done some films?

They have commented on certain films asking me why I did those films. But I wouldn’t like to get into the name-game. (Smiles)