‘Irrfan is beyond all this’: Dinesh Vijan shares actor’s reaction to Angrezi Medium releasing amid coronavirus shutdowns

Irrfan Khan’s film Angrezi Medium is off to a disappointing start at the box office due to the cinema halls remaining closed in New Delhi, Mumbai and other territories.

Actor Irrfan Khan’s first film in two years, Angrezi Medium had a rough start at the box office. With cinema halls closed until March 31 in New Delhi, Mumbai and other territories due to the coronavirus outbreak, the film made only Rs 4.3 crore on opening day.

In a new interview with Mumbai Mirror, film producer Dinesh Vijan has said that it was too late to pull back from release. “We had no option as the film had already opened in the UAE-GCC market on Thursday, when the chief minister of Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) announced shutdown of theatres later in the day. Had we known three-four days ago that this would happen, we might have had time to rethink the release, but on Thursday, it was too late to pull back,” he said.

When asked what was Irrfan’s reaction to it all, he said, “I think he’s beyond all this. I spoke to him this morning and he’s happy those who have seen it are appreciating the film.”

Not only was the film’s business affected by the coronavirus outbreak but the film was also leaked online on the day of release itself. However, Dinesh is confident that those who wish to enjoy the theatre experience will come back to watch the film when it finally releases in their cities. “As Irrfan said in the teaser,I hope they will wait for us,” he said.

Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. He spent almost an entire year in London where he received treatment for his ailment. He returned to India to shoot for the film but had to leave again when his health deteriorated. He could also not be a part of the film’s promotions.

Irrfan plays a sweetshop owner in the film and single father to a young girl, played by Radhika Madan. The film is a followup to 2017’s hit Hindi Medium and is directed by Homi Adajania.