I won’t jump but I’ll stroll: Irrfan on life and cinema

PTI, Mar 6, 2020, 1:19 PM IST

Mumbai: Actor Irrfan is back where he belongs in films. Irrfan has been away from movies since the release of “Karwaan” in 2018, the same year he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor.

The 53-year-old actor underwent treatment for the “rare disease” in the UK and briefly visited India to film “Angrezi Medium”, a follow-up to his 2017 film “Hindi Medium”, in April last year.

But Irrfan is taking things slow. He said that he won’t jump but he will stroll.

Through social media, the actor even informed his fans in advance about his absence during the promotions of his upcoming film in the future, also asking them to “wait” for his return.

In an email interaction with PTI, Irrfan said, he is moved by the unending love and support that he has received.

“Blessings and adversity go hand-in-hand, I had heard, and I experienced it when it happened to me. The wishes from all over are like a feeling as if you are walking in the rain and you are not carrying any change of clothes and someone you don’t even know takes you inside his umbrella just like that,” he said.

In his over three-decade-long career, the actor has established himself as both a dependable and powerhouse performer in the Indian film industry and Hollywood with “Haasil”, “Maqbool”, “Paan Singh Tomar”, “The Namesake”, “Life of Pi” to name a few.

In the past two years, he has been learning more about his family producer wife Sutapa, sons Babil and Ayaan, and most importantly, himself.

“I have come to know Irrfan, Sutapa, Babil, and Ayaan very very closely and I would much rather be busy decoding these surprises of life,” he said.

“Hindi Medium” turned out to be a huge hit and getting back into the groove for its sequel, “Angrezi Medium” wasn’t initially easy for the National Award-winning actor who was returning to a film set after a gap of more than a year.

Presented by Jio Studios and Prem Vijan, “Angrezi Medium” is a Maddock Films production.

Also featuring Deepak Dobriyal, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Ranvir Shorey, Dimple Kapadia, and Zakir Hussain, the film is scheduled to be released on March 13.