Director Shoojit Sircar: Haven't been able to overcome Irrfan's death yet

Shoojit Sircar shares his emotional journey of coping with Irrfan Khan's death, revealing a deep sense of guilt and the irreplaceable void left by his friend.

In Short

• Shoojit Sircar admitted to feeling guilty over Irrfan Khan's death
• He finds it hard to replace him in his life and his works
• He also added that Irrfan was the first choice for I Want to Talk

It's been more than four years since actor Irrfan Khan passed away but good friend Shoojit Sircar admitted that he's yet to overcome his death. The two have been friends and also worked together in Piku. In an exclusive interview with India Today Digital, the filmmaker reminisced about his friend and also shared that he feels guilty about losing him.

Shoojit stated that Irrfan's place in his life is irreplaceable, but he talks to his family to feel his presence. "I still haven't been able to overcome Irrfan's death. There's a lot of guilt, which completely takes over and I don't know how to solve it. He was supposed to work on my film, but we couldn't. I regularly talk to Babil and Sutapa (Irrfan's son and wife). Babil is even working on our next production. It's really difficult to replace him, and to reconcile that Irrfan is no more," the filmmaker said.

His next film, I Want to Talk, is set to release on November 22, and Shoojit confessed that he had Irrfan in mind while penning the script. He also shared this information with Abhishek Bachchan, who plays the protagonist, and he was humbled by the information.

Sircar recounted, "I told Abhishek that I had Irrfan in mind while I was writing the script. And now that he is not here, Abhishek is somewhere replacing him. He told me that he'd do the best for Irrfan and me. He is Irrfan, there can never be anyone else like him."

The director also mentioned how he saw glimpses of Irrfan in Abhishek Bachchan's performance in I Want to Talk. Stating that the late actor always brought so much more to the table, he added, "Everyone is talking so many things about Abhishek's performance. He did a wonderful job, but I also saw glimpses of Irrfan in him. Once you see the film, you will understand what I am saying. The kind of purity he has brought in through his eyes, it's incredible."

On a final note, Shoojit Sircar added that every film of his helps him heal, as it rightly should. "Not just heal, but it should also make you calm, help understand more, and make you a better human being," he added.

Inspired by the life of former marketing professional-turned-writer and motivational speaker Arjun Sen, I Want to Talk will hit cinema halls on November 22.