'Chased him...': How Anurag Basu convinced Irrfan for 'Metro'
What's the story
Anurag Basu, the director of the upcoming film Metro... In Dino, recently opened up about his experiences working with late actor Irrfan Khan and the late singer KK in Life in a...Metro. Speaking to IANS, he revealed that he had initially struggled to convince Khan about the significance of his role. "I had chased Irrfan. When I narrated the story to Irrfan, he thought his role was not very meaty."
Convincing Khan
Basu admits to being a 'very bad narrator'
Basu admitted to being a "very bad narrator," which may have affected Khan's judgment of the script. He said, "I couldn't give him confidence that his role is really good." To resolve this, he called up Sutapa Sikdar, Khan's wife, for help. "I asked her to please convince him. She eventually convinced him, and when we shot the first scene with him, he was very happy."
Fond memories
'The scene was halfway through...': Basu on Khan's positive reaction
Basu also shared a fond memory of Khan's positive reaction while shooting the film in Juhu. He said, "Sutapa called me. The scene was halfway through, she said, 'Irrfan is very happy.' I told her 'he's not telling me he's telling you?" "Oh, so yeah, all those memories of Irrfan are priceless." Khan was paired opposite Konkona Sen Sharma in the movie.
Working with KK
KK's iconic song 'Alvida'
Basu also spoke about his experience working with KK, revealing that it was music composer Pritam who wanted him to sing the iconic song Alvida. He said, "Pritam really wanted KK to sing Alvida. I remember he came from Pune. A lot of memories, very fond and pleasant memories." Apart from Alvida, KK also sang O Meri Jaan for the movie.
Director's praise
'Metro...In Dino' belongs more to Pritam
Basu also praised Pritam, saying that the film belongs more to him. He said, "When you see the film [Metro...In Dino] as a whole, you will understand how music is so important for this film. It's like a thread. A string to tie everything together." The film, which releases on July 4, 2025, also stars Neena Gupta, Anupam Kher, Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sen Sharma, among others.