Irrfan is all set to regale his television fans on the Anupam Kher show - Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai. Excerpts of the lively chat
You’re real name is very long, isn’t itIJ
Yes, it’s Sahabzaade Irrfan Ali Khan. In convent school, for identification, they used to consider the name Sahabzaade Irrfan Ali Khan as a very strange name and so, as the years went by; I kept making it shorter and have ended up with Irrfan now. later, I might remove the ‘Irr’ as well and keep it ‘Fan’… who knowsIJ!
I have heard that your family, your father and grandfather were not very rich or well-offIJ
They were feudal in nature, zamindars actually. My father owned land along with his brothers and each had their own share. But my dad sold his property to his brothers since he had no interest in it and had a very different temperament in comparison to them. Then, he had an automobile tyre business as well but a majority of his life was spent as a hunter.
You wanted to go to Delhi to become a professorIJ
I had told them that I wanted to attend drama school. But I realised that they didn’t understand what I was trying to say. I had heard that after finishing this course I can become a professor. So, I told my parents that version so I that I could go to Delhi. After that they agreed.
Do you think you are an introvert by natureIJ
The mike was right next to me and yet I didn’t sing. In my mind, I thought I was singing.
You received your admission to the National School of Drama at your first tryIJ
That was a miracle honestly.
I remember that they ask for a list of 10 plays during admission.
I faked all ten of them. But, they liked a few of them and I had that earnest quality to learn that I think they picked up on. I had even lied that I wanted to act in plays which wasn’t true since films was my priority. I remember everyone spoke about NSD so much, as if it was a sort of place where they gave you a tablet to convert you to an actor!