Irrfan Khan is no more Mira’s ‘Reluctant Fundamentalist’

Mira Nair’s official adaptation of the best seller book ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ has been in news for quite some time. It was over two years back when Irrfan was offered to play an all important part of a progressive Pakistan protagonist in the film. As has turned out, after months of talks, Irrfan and Mira have finally exchanged a goodbye note as far as this film is concerned.

“Mira and Irrfan did talk about the film long time back but after that there was no word on the film. While Mira got busy with putting together other cast members for this film boasts of an international ensemble, even Irrfan got busy with his other assignments. Meanwhile there was no word from Mira, hence making even Irrfan wonder how the project was taking shape. However recently when Mira came back to him with the proposal of doing the film, he had to politely decline”, informs a source close to the actor.

This indeed came across as a surprise for many out there since Mira is credited for giving Irrfan one of his biggest international exposures in the form of The Namesake. However, Irrfan had his own reasons to opt out.

“Of late he has been doing too many heavy duty films, Paan Singh Tomar being one of them”, the source continues, “Moreover he has been busy with his international assignments like The Life Of Pi and The Amazing Spiderman that required him to stay out of the country for extended durations. He wanted a break for himself when it came to yet another international assignment and excused out of it.”

In the process, he ended up signing Bollywood flicks like Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 2 and (rumoured to be titled) Fanne Khan (with Shivam Nair) that allowed him to be closer home and also breathe easy.

Confirms Irrfan, “Yes, I was fatigued and didn’t want to get into that kind of zone again. I requested Mira that I needed an antidote at this stage of my life and doing The Reluctant Fundamentalist may be a little too much. She understood so it was all amicable.”