I tried to understand the job of a RAW agent – Irrfan Khan

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart… Irrfan Khan has been one of the most sought after actors owing to his strong performance oriented roles. He has always been one of critics' favourite and recently won the National Award for his stunning performance in Paan Singh Tomar. Now, the actor is back with the crime thriller D-Day. Playing the role of a RAW agent, Wali Khan, Irrfan is on a mission to bring India's most wanted man back to his country.

Who is Wali Khan?
Wali Khan is an agent who is residing in Pakistan for a long time who is now married and has a kid. He was ideally an Indian who was sent to Pakistan by his agency where he later found a mission which he could hold on to. He is an interesting character as the audience is often left in a mystery as it is difficult for them to understand if the character is an Indian or a Pakistani. He is a strong character who has seen different phases of life and enamored by it. Though he is a man on a mission, he is often faced with a dilemma where he is caught between his mind and his heart.

Is Wali Khan the leader of the RAW agents who are on a mission?
While I can't reveal much about the role, I can say that every agent who is involved in this mission has a lot at stake and they all are fighting equally to fulfill their mission. So I wouldn't claim that Wali Khan is a leader amongst them.

What was the kind of research you went through to be a RAW agent?
Most importantly, I tried to understand the job of a RAW agent. Apart from referring to various sources, Nikhil played a very important role in helping me from time to time. I asked him to provide me with a lot of books and materials. I also asked him to set up surroundings where I could meet people. Nikhil was not just co-operative with my demands but he was as eager to learn about everything as I was. Before writing the script, Nikhil had gone through a lot of research and he was enthusiastic about sharing it with every actor in the film. He wanted to understand the mission and the nature of our job perfectly. I think that was great.

Your role also includes a lot of action. What kind of training did you go through?
I was trained by Tom Struthers. It was a systematic training and it took us almost a month for it. It wasn't much related to martial arts. It was more of fist fight and gun fight. Gun fight is all about the relationship between a man and a gun. Tom always said that 'it is not the gun which kills me but the person behind it'. We were taught as to how the gun becomes a part of us. The training was rigorous but I enjoyed each and every part of it.

How was the shooting experience?
There were some emotional scenes which I really enjoyed shooting. We shot a major chunk in Ahmedabad. Out of that, I think the Rann of Kutch was excellent. We shot our climax in that area and it was a very mysterious place. I saw it for the first time and I loved it. Also, there was a volatile market sequence in the film. I remember it because it was very difficult to shoot that particular scene.

How was it working with so many co-stars especially with the legendary Rishi Kapoor?
I have been working with all of them for the first time but I like working with a lot of new people. I don't think I have any favourite actors with whom I like to work with. I keep on meeting different kinds of people. All the actors respected the story and wanted to work for it. It was a great experience working with all of them. Also, I enjoyed thoroughly working with the legendary actor Rishi Kapoor. It was outstanding. The atmosphere was so lively all around.

How much of an action oriented film is D-Day?
I won't say it's heavy on action. It's the tension between the action that is very unique. This is the first time you will understand the kind of job that the actors are involved in and the audience will get a fair idea of what it is all about.

Do you feel a lot of pressure after winning the National Award, when it comes to expectations attached to your films?
Pressure? No. But I surely feel acknowledged about it. When it comes to people expecting another National Award from me, I would say that I can't go around fulfilling all of their expectations. But I do keep in mind while signing a film, if it is engaging enough for the audience. It's important for me to entertain the audience. As far as the victory is concerned, it doesn't change the way you work. You work the way you always do. But what it does, is giving you a satisfaction, that your work is being registered and acknowledged.

Paan Singh Tomar and now Wali Khan… are you much more attracted to these patriotic and action roles?
I would love to do all kind of roles. I always keep looking for new material. I can never stick to one kind of role.

Do you think the movie will trigger a kind of revolution that will inspire the youth to do something for their nation?
Actually, our main aim is to make an engaging film. That's all! The consequences of the film- what it will trigger, how it will affect the audience is something that none of us can foresee. The whole idea behind making this film is just to engage the audience and entertain them. What it does beyond that, is not in our control.

Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more