Tigmanshu Dhulia, who has always been known for his unconventional films, seems to be having one more ace up his sleeve with his next venture Paan Singh Tomar. The director had conceived the idea years ago, when he was working on Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen in Chambal. The film tells the true story of a dacoit named Paan Singh Tomar and Irrfan Khan will be essaying the lead title role.
“We couldn’t think of any one better than Irrfan to play this role. He was the man we were looking for,” says a unit member of the film. While Irrfan can be trusted to do complete justice to the character, it’s the filmmaker who is going the extra mile to add a realistic touch to the film. Apparently, a daring Tigmanshu met up with a few real life dacoits to gain a better understanding of their attitude and approach towards life.
The film, which earned rave reviews at an international film festival last year, is now gearing up to hit the silver screen in India. And the unique selling point of this film will be its unique publicity. Sources say that the production house and Tigmanshu have worked out an innovative way to promote the film. The team is planning to rope in real life dacoits to help them create the right buzz. “The idea is to give a realistic feel to it and this is the best way to nail it,” says a unit member.
The film was shot in Chambal, where Irrfan Khan trained rigorously with steeplechase coaches, and even fractured his ankle at one point. “This has been the most physically and mentally demanding film of my career,” he says.