Ajit Karn
Anup Singh, director of The Song Of Scorpions, and Shashank Arora, actor in the film, fondly recalls the late Irrfan Khan.
After years of delays, Anup Singh is ecstatic that his film The Song Of Scorpions will finally be released on April 29. In 2017, the film starring Irrfan Khan had its world premiere at the 70th Locarno Film Festival. Recently, Anup Singh and actor Shashank Arora spoke with media about honoring Irrfan through his farewell performance.
The Song Of Scorpions was published on the anniversary of Irrfan’s death. The director stated, “I am overcome with regret that Irrfan is not present to witness this moment.” He described it as a mixture of sadness and happiness. Shashank Arora concurred: “It’s tragic when loved ones depart. Incredible is the pleasure of sharing something we created together. This is existence in its entirety.”
Shashank portrays the banjara Munna in the desert. He is acquainted with Irrfan Khan’s character, Aadam. They are merely wandering nomads who perform odd tasks to earn money. Aadam is Munna’s teacher, role model, spiritual guide, and closest friend.
Shashank respects Irrfan not only in the film, but also in real life. “Irrfan is one of my favorite actors,” he said. It was a fantastic experience to learn from him and spend time with him on the sand dunes. He possesses a gentle and kind spirit. According to what I surmised during his brief time with me, he enjoyed gulkand ka halwa and kite flying. I will never forget the day we went on a bike journey through the sand dunes together. He had a poet’s soul. It is every actor’s dream to collaborate with someone like him.”
The Song Of Scorpions contains more Marwari dialogue than Hindi dialogue. When asked whether he found it simple or challenging to comprehend, Shashank responded, “It was a little of both.” It was simple because we were filming in a region where everyone spoke the same language. Even the individual who drove me to the set had a Marwari dialect. It’s a difficult accent to learn. Obviously, it’s not even near to how I’m accustomed to speaking, but working with a fantastic team makes it considerably more approachable. It was somewhat challenging.”
In addition to difficulties in mastering the correct language, the film’s production was hindered by the severe weather conditions of Rajasthan. During the daytime filming, the crew had to plan meticulously to keep their equipment cool. However, Anup Singh clarified, “The challenges were enormous, but they were not the fault of our actors.”
“I recall Irrfan lying in the sand for the majority of the time. I do not recall seeing them inside their vanity van, unless they were changing or applying touch-ups. I cannot recall seeing Shashank in his narcissism. Even Waheeda (Rehman) had a chair next to mine, and she was on the sand dunes with us the entire time, being an integral part of the filming. At one point, I believe the level of camaraderie was so high that no one considered their comfort. They grew accustomed to the desert itself.”
He then recalled Irrfan’s fondness for balloons on the set. Irrfan, a kite pilot, instructed the entire unit to fly kites. Anup disclosed, “He brought twenty kites to the set.” Several crew members, including Irrfan, would vanish during breaks. The only method to locate him was to observe where the kites were in the sky. We would pursue the gliders and capture him to bring him back to the set.”
He also recalled a time when the filming was temporarily halted because cranes became suspicious of the gathering of people in the desert. Each winter, waterfowl from Mongolia and Siberia migrate to the wetlands of Rajasthan. The Song Of Scorpions director stated with a chuckle, “About fifty cranes began circling above us. They were sobbing and screeching. We exhausted every option, but they refused to depart. We attempted yelling at them and pounding on metals. After thirty minutes, we gave up. We suddenly spotted Irrfan ascending a sand dune while flying a kite. When he reached the peak, he launched the kite toward the birds. The birds began to encircle the aircraft. He began to launch the kite farther and farther away. The kite carried the animals with it.”
Anup Singh informed us in 2017 that he has a script ready for Irrfan when he is 80 years old. He stated, “I hope to create many more films with Irrfan. I already have a script written for when he is eighty!” When his remarks were recalled, the director became emotional.
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He paused and said with a sorrowful heart, “We were discussing the script even while Irrfan was hospitalized. At a certain point, he and everyone else knew that he would likely never leave the hospital. However, there was a strong desire to continue creating the film with words in the hospital room, despite the possibility that it would never be shot. We were able to analyze every moment of the film because of our intense yearning.”
