Irrfan Khan responding well to treatment: Shoojit Sircar

Director Shoojit Sircar has some good news for the fans of actor Irrfan Khan. In a statement to a tabloid he said the actor is responding well to treatment and also added that if all goes well, Khan might begin shooting the biopic of freedom fighter Uddham Singh by the end of the year.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Sircar said, “I’ve been speaking to both Irrfan and his wife [Sutapa Sikdar]. He’s responding well to the treatment and trying to cope with the knowledge that he’s battling Neuro Endocrine tumour by treating the recuperation in Europe like a short and unexpected holiday. I’m planning to visit him next month.”

When asked about his film, the Uddham Singh biopic, with Khan, the director said, “We hope to roll by the year-end, but will wait till Irrfan is ready to shoot.” Sircar also added that he has always wanted to cast Khan since “he’s one of our finest actors and a dear friend.”

However, looks like there are more reasons why he wants Khan in the project. “To relive Uddham’s journey, I need a performance with finesse and depth which Irrfan is capable of. Also, he’s the only international actor we have today and I discovered to my delight that independently he knows a lot about the history of Punjab. It’s easy working with an actor who’s interested and involved,” said Sircar.

The filmmaker believes that Uddham Singh has not received the importance in Indian history he deserved. The revolutionary had shot Sir Michael O'Dwyer to avenge the mass killings at the Jallianwala Bagh ordered by him on 13 April 1919.