Vidya Balan remembers Irrfan Khan as "most natural actor", watches their 25-year-old film 'The Last Tenant'
Mumbai, May 7
Vidya Balan and late Irrfan Khan's film 'The Last Tenant', which did not see the light of day 25 years ago, has finally been released on YouTube.
Vidya watched the film last night, and she could not resist revisiting the memories she formed with Irrfan two decades ago.
In a post on Instagram, Vidya reflected on a difficult phase in her early career, a time marked by setbacks, shelved projects, and repeated replacements from films.
"Watched The Last Tenant for the first time last night, since I shot for it 25 years ago. I shot for it and then, for some reason, it didn't see the light of day. This happened at a time when nothing I touched seemed to materialise. My first Malayalam film, Chakram, was shelved, following which I was replaced in almost a dozen films over a period of three years. To cut a long story short, like all the other things that didn't work out at the time, I wanted to forget about it... so I did. I diligently shoved it under the carpet... until last week, when I received a text from director @sarthak_dasgupta informing me of its release on YouTube," she shared.
Vidya also recalled calling her sister the moment she learned she would be sharing screen space with Irrfan Khan.
"And then one vague memory popped up. I remembered calling my sister, @priyabalances , excitedly from the set to tell her that I was shooting with Irrfan Khan from Banegi Apni Baat. I thought he was the most natural actor then, and I felt the same way last night... never a false note or tone . And since Irrfan's passing, I have rued the fact that a couple of films that would've had us play opposite each other didn't materialize, for some reason or the other. But now I at least have The Last Tenant," she penned.
Written and directed by Sarthak Dasgupta and produced by Neena and Sarthak Dasgupta, the film has been released as a tribute to Irrfan Khan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Vidya's journey from all those rejections to becoming one of our finest actresses is so inspiring. And working with Irrfan so early in her career must have been a blessing. Their chemistry in The Lunchbox was magical, wish we'd gotten more films with them together 😢
The last tenant? Never heard of it but now I'm curious. Off to YouTube! Irrfan and Vidya is such an underrated pairing. Also, how sweet of the director to release it as a tribute 🤍
Honestly, as a film buff, I sometimes wonder if Bollywood gave Irrfan enough due while he was alive. So much of his work was only fully appreciated posthumously. But seeing Vidya's heartfelt tribute reminds me why we still cherish his legacy. Watch this if you haven't, folks!
"Never a false note or tone" - that's the perfect description for Irrfan Khan. He could make you laugh, cry, and think all in one scene. Will definitely watch this 💛
Glad the film is finally out, but also a bit sad that Irrfan isn't here to see it. On a positive note, this is a gem for his fans and for anyone who appreciates pure, unfiltered acting. Kudos to Vidya for sharing such personal memories.
M