‘I Want To Talk’ director Shoojit Sircar shared a friendship with the late Irrfan Khan, with whom he worked in the film Piku. In an interview with ETimes, Shoojit revealed that he spoke with the actor often when he was battling cancer and that he could not handle the situation mentally.
‘I Want To Talk’ is about the resilience of a man diagnosed with cancer and his bond with his daughter. The film was originally supposed to be made with Irrfan. However, Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer and died on April 29, 2020, in Mumbai.
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Shoojit Sircar spoke to ETimes, “A friend of mine faced this situation but did not let him break him. When Irrfan was diagnosed with cancer, I spoke to him often. However, he couldn’t battle it mentally. My friend, on the other hand, didn’t surrender. I decided to make this film after Irrfan’s passing, for those who struggle mentally in such situations.
It is not about Irrfan specifically but about anyone facing a mental health challenge.” The filmmaker added, “I’ve spoken a lot about Irrfan, but my focus is now on Babil (Irrfan’s son). I feel responsible for guiding him, giving him confidence and supporting him.”
Speaking about the film earlier, Shoojit said, “It’s a simple, slice-of-life film about families, fathers and daughters, everyday life. I Want To Talk is the story of an NRI, a father-daughter relationship that covers the passage of time. Like Piku or October, this film looks at the things we deal with every day.” Shoojit told, “We often feel the task is going to be insurmountable, or life is going to be tough, but then we look back and realize that it was just a small thing. The film deals with life lessons with a smile.”
In the Shoojit Sircar film, Abhishek Bachchan plays Arjun, who is on the cusp of life-altering surgery as he navigates a complex relationship with his daughter. It also stars Johny Lever, Ahilya Bamroo, and Banita Sandhu.