It’s a golden opportunity for Irrfan Khan‘s fans in India, who can witness the genius of the actor one more time on the big screen, a day before his third death anniversary.
Directed by Anup Singh, the trailer of Irrfan Khan’s film The Song of Scorpions was unveiled on Wednesday. The film was released at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland back in 2017 and is finally getting an India release on April 28.
Set in Jaisalmer’s Thar desert, the film stars Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani (Body of Lies) who has been cast opposite Irrfan. Waheeda Rehman, Shashank Arora and Tillotama Shome (The Night Manager) will be seen in strong supporting roles. Irrfan has worked with Anup earlier in the film Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost.
The trailer starts with a haunting premise, in which, a man is stung by a scorpion. The late actor plays a camel trader in this twisted love story of revenge and the redemptive power of the song. Meanwhile, Farahani plays Nooran, a fiercely independent tribal woman, who is learning the ancient healing art of scorpion singing from her grandmother, Zubeida, played by Waheeda Rehman. According to local myths, the only cure for sure death after a scorpion sting is the song of scorpions.
Anup Singh said, “The film is about choice: you can either choose to breathe out the poison you breathe in or sing a song of love that heals rather than harms. It’s an important film given the times we live in. Irrfan believed in it passionately and I am glad that people will be able to see it soon. It’s an emotional moment for me and the entire team. This screening of the film I hope will bring healing to Irrfan’s family & to all of us who loved Irrfan.”
Anup Singh has also relived his memories of working with the actor in his book ‘Irrfan: Dialogues with the Wind’, which was released last year.
The Swiss, French, and Singaporean co-production premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival and received rave reviews.
Irrfan’s son Babil Khan also shared the trailer on his social media handle with the caption, “Bringing alive a heart-wrenching tale of love, obsession and betrayal. #TheSongOfScorpions Trailer out now!”
Elated fans reacted to his post saying, “This would be a must-watch.” Another one wrote, “Wow!! Can’t wait to see Irrfan sir.”
The Chairman of Panorama Spotlight (Production house) Kumar Mangat Pathak said that he is equally upbeat about this ‘special’ film. He added, “Irrfan is one of the most loved actors across the globe. He touched many lives through his cinematic journey and those who knew him will know he was a man with a heart of gold. As a studio, we worked with him on the film Sunday. It is a privilege and an honour for us to bring the last film (sic) of Irrfan Khan as a tribute to his versatile genius.”
Shivv Sharma and Zeeshan Ahmad, the owners of 70mm Talkies, are elated to bring the film to Irrfan’s fans in India. “It’s our tribute to the man and actor who has meant so much to so many of us,” they said.
Irrfan Khan’s The Song of Scorpions is slated to release in the theatres on April 28.
