They’ll come to see Mallika’s body: Irrfan

Irrfan Khan doesn’t seem to mind that the marketing and promotion team of ‘Hisss’ have singlemindedly been focusing on Mallika Sherawat.
Though he isn’t talking about it Irrfan Khan is not amused at the way Mallika Sherawat is being projected as the face of the new release ‘Hisss’. The film is produced by Sherawat’s friend Govind Menon who directed Sherawat in two films ‘Khwahish’ and ‘Kis Kis Ki Kismat’, and it seems perfectly within her rights to project and promote ‘Hisss’ as her film.
‘Hisss’ is an international film directed by British director Jennifer Lynch and Irrfan with his impressive body of international projects from Mira Nair’s ‘The Namesake’ to Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ would seem like the correct global face for the project.
Says a friend of Irrfan, “Although the primary posters of ‘Hiss’ credit Irrfan Khan before Mallika, the marketing and promotion have singlemindedly been focusing on her, so much so that Irrfan has chosen to keep away from all the events and marketing campaigns. He feels audiences would go to see him if they want regardless of how the film is being projected. But he’s definitely feeling hurt and humiliated by the snub.”
When contacted Irrfan attempts to make light of the snub. “It is their film. How they want to project and whom, is entirely up to them. It is a fact that audiences will flock to see Mallika’s body in ‘Hisss’. Everything else is inconsequential. I don’t mind taking a backseat for beautiful ladies .I’ve done so in ‘The Namesake’ where Tabu took centrestage. I recently dubbed for Vishal Bharadwaj’s ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’. Priyanka Chopra is mindblowing in the film. I just have a small role.”
Irrfan, who’s just back from the shooting of the full season of his American series ‘In Treatment in New York’, is exhilarated by the critical response he has so far received in the international press. Irrfan takes a deep bow and says, “I’ve always been treated with generous praise for my performances outside India. Maybe ‘Hisss’ too will get me my due recognition abroad. As for ‘In Treatment’ I doubt the series will be shown in India. Psychological therapy is not a popular concept in our country.”
For now Irrfan is at the Abu Dhabi Festival where he represents his new biopic ‘Pan Singh Tomar’. “That’s the one I’m proud of,” says Irrfan with a wink.Check out Irrfan Khan's homepage
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