फ़िल्मी गपशप

Irrfan Khan in demand

Having quietly made his way into the 'A' league of actors, Bollywood star Irrfan Khan is now finding himself in demand for overseas movies, which he thinks are much more realistic and technically sound than those made back home.

"There is more realism in films made abroad and their technique is better," Irrfan, who has received huge acclaim for his performance in the recently released American production The Namesake, said.

Besides the Mira Nair directed film, that is based on a Jhumpa Lahiri novel by the same name, Irrfan also figures in the international project A Mighty Heart that was recently premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

"The international filmmakers focus on making things look authentic. A lot of money and a lot of effort is put into the films for this purpose. Over here, the emphasis is on creating a fantasy. This is the basic difference between our films and their films," Irrfan said.

While in The Namesake he played an Indian who has migrated to the US, in Angelina Jolie starrer A Mighty Heart, that is based on the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl, Irrfan has essayed the role of a Pakistani Anti-Terrorist Squad officer.

Irrfan's first international exposure came through the British film Warrior that was even chosen to represent the UK in the Best Foreign Language Film category in the Oscars in 2003.

Irrfan is now looking forward to a probable role in the Mira Nair film Shantaram whose shooting is slated to start later this year. The movie will star Bollywood mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Hollywood icon Johnny Depp.

Irrfan has also acted in Migrate, another film made by Nair and is now in the post-production stage.

And Irrfan feels there is a whole new interest in Indian actors and they can hope to get more opportunities in films made abroad.

"Mexican and Chinese actors have been getting roles in Hollywood films. And there is definitely the possibility for Indian actors getting more work there. In the near future, people will be working here as well as there," Irrfan said.

posted by nK @ 3:17 AM Comments: 2