Irrfan Khan To Play Udham Singh In Shoojit Sircar’s Next

Shoojit Sircar and Irrfan Khan came together for the unconventional film Piku, also starring Deepika Padukone. The director-actor duo is now all set to return for a screen adaptation of the life of martyr Udham Singh. Amidst many legendary heroes in our history who have contributed to the Indian Independence, Udham Singh is said to have played an integral role. Now, Shoojit confessed that he has indeed found his hero in Irrfan Khan.

However, it is also a known fact that Irrfan Khan was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine tumor and is undergoing treatment in Europe. But Shoojit Sircar is very positive about the current situation. He revealed that the actor is responding well to the treatment and should be soon on the road to recovery. In fact, Shoojit has confidently asserted that they should be starting the film by the end of this year. He also added that he will be visiting Irrfan and his family next month.

As far as his research for the film is concerned, Shoojit Sircar went on to confess that he wanted to make a film on Udham Singh since the time he arrived in Mumbai. Although he ended up making some versatile films in the past, this will be Shoojit’s first film on a patriotic martyr.

Speaking on how he has always idolized Udham Singh, Shoojit stated that this hero, despite his sacrifices hasn’t found his name in history. After Bhagat Singh, the work of Udham Singh was one of the major turning points in history. He mentioned that he visited Amritsar and Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab during his theatre days in 1995. That’s when he got inspired by the story of Singh who killed the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O’Dwyer. The revolutionary did so to avenge the 1919 massacre.

On the other hand, Shoojit also confirmed that Irrfan Khan fits the bill perfectly. He believes that Irrfan has the finesse and depth that is required to play Udham Singh. Adding to it is also the fact that Irrfan is aware of the history of Punjab.

As mentioned before, Shoojit is expecting to kick off the film by the end of this year.