Not easy to convince Irrfan, says Tanuja Chandra

Tanuja Chandra, who has returned to direction after almost nine long years with Qarib Qarib Singlle, reveals that it wasn’t easy to convince Irrfan  to get on board with the film. Known for his unconventional films, Irrfan took his own sweet time to give his nod to the movie.

“It wasn’t easy to convince Irrfan,” sighs Tanuja. “He liked the idea from word go, but then he took a while to say yes. He wanted to be sure he connected with it deeply, and fell in love with the character. So, in a very fundamental way, it took a while.”

She adds, “There was a lot of debate and discussion, because he brings new layers to the film that I welcomed, and I was happy about.”

Irrfan plays the role of Yogendra Kumar Prajapati, aka Yogi, who is almost single. He co-produced the movie himself. The movie will also mark the Hindi debut of Malayalam actress Parvathy.

Tanuja also reveals that Irrfan’s older son, Babil, was assisting the cameraperson on the sets of the movie. “His son assisted the cinematographer,” she says. “He was interested in camerawork, but when you’re assisting in my film, you do everything. I am happy to invite and work with them (assistants) in all different departments. Both father and son were good company on the sets, so it was convenient for me.”