Sanjay Leela Bhansali had been wanting to make a biopic on Sahir Ludhianvi for quite some time, and had even brought Irrfan Khan on board to play the poet and lyricist in 2017. Several actors were in talks to play the role of renowned poet Amrita Pritam opposite him, and Kareena Kapoor almost ended up doing the film. The project, however, never materialise.
While we missed out on seeing Kareena and Irrfan together in the Sahir Ludhianvi biopic, the two actors now star together in Angrezi Medium, where Kareena is playing an extended cameo as a cop.
Recently, in an interview with Mid-day, Kareena spoke about missing out on the opportunity to work with Irrfan earlier.
“I wish the Sahir film had happened. But then again, I believe when such great movies don’t work out, it’s for a reason. Every movie has its destiny, and that one will take its own course. Under the circumstances that Irrfan and I met, it was surreal. He is so respectful and charming, and I was in awe of him.”Kareena Kapoor
Kareena also spoke about why she agreed to do an extended cameo role in Angrezi Medium. “Choosing this film was an easy decision. The greed of wanting to work with Irrfan made me go for it. I have wanted that box ticked for a long time. When Homi [Adajania, director] read the part to me, I was game.”
“My character is gritty and dark. Her backstory is crackling. In the few scenes that I have, my character adds depth to the film.”Kareena Kapoor
She added that she worked on Angrezi Medium while accompanying Saif Ali Khan to his shoot for Jawaani Jaaneman. “So, I was in London for two months anyway. I had to devote 12 to 15 days to the shoot. That was my chance to work with Irrfan. Thank God it worked out!”
Angrezi Medium traces the journey of a doting father who goes to great lengths when his daughter expresses her wish to go to London to pursue college education. The Homi Adajania film, which was slated for a 20 March release, has now been shifted to 13 March.
The ensemble cast includes Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Tripathi, Deepak Dobriyal and Ranvir Shorey.
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