Amidst his long battle with cancer in London, Irrfan Khan is back in India and will soon begin shooting for the sequel of Hindi Medium. While the reports of him being back is confirmed, he is also being choosy about his upcoming projects.
According to fresh reports, Vicky Kaushal has stepped in and replaced Irrfan in Shoojit Sircar¡¯s Udham Singh. In a media statement, Shoojit explained why he had to replace Irrfan. His statement reads,?
¡°Irrfan and I have had a discussion on this. He is recovering well and is in a good mood. He wants to start work on films but for now, he would like to do a film that does not require the kind of strenuous physical action that this film would. He told me to move on since we have waited for long on this film. He and I are in touch and we are working on something else together.¡±
For the uninitiated, this biopic will tell the story of the martyr who killed Michael O¡¯ Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of Punjab in pre-Independence India, in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. It was during O¡¯Dwyer¡¯s tenure as Lieutenant Governor that the massacre occurred. Later on, Singh was not just tried and convicted of murder, but he was hanged in July 1940.?
In his statement, Shoojit adds,
¡°I have been waiting to tell the heroic tale of Shaheed Udham Singh for a very long time. It is a story very close to my heart. For it, I needed an actor who could give his heart and soul to the film, be with me and tell the story together. Vicky fits the bill perfectly. I have seen his work and the dedication he brings to it. I¡¯m very happy he is on board this project."
Vicky Kaushal is also elated to be a part of this big a project. In a media statement, he said,
¡°Since the time I started working as an actor in the industry, there was a wish list of the directors I wanted to work with. Shoojit sir was always on top of that list. So it is like a dream come true that he is finally directing me. And, what better story than Udham Singh! Being a Punjabi, I have always heard about his stories, heard about his life as I was growing up and he has always come across as a mysterious character. The more mysterious a character, the more stimulating it becomes for an actor and for the director as well. I am so looking forward to becoming Udham Singh and translating Shoojit sir¡¯s vision. I just feel that this is one person whose life story India should know and I am really excited for this journey to start.¡±