Irrfan Khan Was Offered To Play A Crossdresser By Anup Singh: “He Laughed So Much, He Had Tears In His Eyes”
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Irrfan Khan might have left us, but his memories and the iconic body of work will stay with us for decades to come. Now as we are still coming in terms with his passing away, The Song Of Scorpions director Anup Singh has now revealed that he once offered Irrfan a cross-dressing dancer’s role in a film. He told how Khan laughed his heart out and below is all you need to know about the same.
If you are unaware, Anup has worked with Irrfan in his critically acclaimed Qissa. The film that garnered some fantastic reviews across also starred Titllotama Shome in the lead roles. The filmmaker has now opened up how Irrfan asked him why he never makes a film with a male protagonist.
It was then Anup Singh offered Irrfan Khan the part where he was supposed to play a folk dancer who likes to dress like a woman.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Anup Singh said, “After Qissa and The Song Of Scorpions, Irrfan often used to tease me, saying, ‘You’re always casting me, but your films really are all about women. When will you do a film with a man as the main protagonist in your film and cast me?’ So, I spoke to him about the new film I wanted to do with him. I said, ‘Irrfan, this is a film about a man, but the thing is, he likes to dress up as a woman. In fact, he’s a folk dancer who dresses and dances like Krishna’s Radha.’”
He continued how the actor reacted to it and said, “Irrfan Khan laughed so much, he had tears in his eyes. You know how he hated to dance! He said to me, ‘You always bring me characters to do that I don’t want to and that I know I have to do. And now you not only want me to play Radha, but also to dance! I have to do this! When do we start?’ Alas, that was never to be.”
Meanwhile, Anup Singh’s The Song Of Scorpions is yet to release in India. The film has already premiered at Locarno Film Festival in 2017. It also stars Waheeda Rehman and Golshifteh Farahani in pivotal parts.
