Asif Kapadia's The Warrior opened to acclaim for its directorial excellence and for its lead actor Irfan Khan. The film was selected by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as the British entry for the Oscars in the foreign language category.
Unfortunately, the American Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences rejected the film on the ground that its Indian background and six minutes of Hindi dialogue disqualified it from representing the UK.
The Warrior is adapted from a Japanese folk tale and tells the story of one man's spiritual journey from the deserts of Rajasthan to the snow-capped Himalayas.
While producer Bertrand Faivre ridiculed the American Academy for its decision, lead actor Irfan Khan voiced his disappointment to Priyanka Nair.
Were you disappointed when The Warrior was rejected?
It was a setback, but then one cannot brood over it. Life has to go on. Had it reached the Oscars, it would have helped me get more recognition in international cinema.
The European press has condemned the Academy for rejecting The Warrior. How can the Academy reject the film when Hindi is an official language in the UK?
Has The Warrior benefited your career?
I got a lot of critical acclaim and a couple of international projects. I was considered to play Naseeruddin Shah's role in The League Of The Extraordinary Gentlemen... and it was only because of The Warrior.
Unfortunately, your films have not done well at the Indian box-office...
Nobody in the Hindi film industry wants an actor. They only want to repeat stars who they think are capable of getting them an initial (at the box office).
Why do you think your latest film Gunaah failed?
People were tired of seeing the same old story of a revolutionary trying to change things. That is why it did not go well with the audience. If filmmakers have seen you doing a good job as a policeman, they want to cast you in a similar role always. It means death for an actor because he is not a machine.
But people do compromise to survive.
I have not come to Mumbai to survive though I have come here to survive as an actor. I am also a television person. Most filmmakers want readymade actors, they cannot create a place for fresh talent. They are lazy. All they can think of is a star who gets them an initial. Film marketing is done in a particular pattern, which no longer appeals to the audience. So those films get rejected. Filmmakers have now started thinking that small budget films work at the box-office. I think we need sensible makers who break away from the formula and present fresh talent to the audience.
I have compromised, but not when it comes to work. I have done a film like Dhund: The Fog because Shyam Ramsay has been wanting to work with me. Someone who wants to work with me will definitely respect me as an actor. Besides, I want to show people that I can do commercial films.
