Irrfan Khan steps into Amitabh Bachchan’s shoes

It’s a formidable place to be in, but Irrfan Khan, whose rise has been rapid, yet steady, is all set to step into a role earmarked for megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

In a new Indo-Canadian project, The Lions of the Sea, Irrfan will be seen portraying legendary immigrant Sikh Gurdit Singh. In 1914, Gurdit campaigned for the entry of 376 Punjabi passengers aboard the ship Komagata Maru into Canada, and were denied entry to their adopted country.

This is, however, not the first time that Irrfan has played a turbaned Sikh in a movie. He gave a stellar performance in Anoop Singh’s Qissa, for which he had prepared well in advance.

This time too, Irrfan will have to undertake vigorous research to prepare for the part. The movie’s co-producer, Ajay Virmani, says, “This is an important film for the Sikh community, and for the Indians who have struggled to make a place for themselves on foreign shores. We brought Irrfan on board because we needed a brilliant Indian actor of an international stature, and Irrfan is known globally. He will be able to carry our film’s message to the farthest shores. We also specifically chose Guru Nanak Jayanti to announce this project.”

An interesting tid-bit about this project is that Akshay Kumar too was keenly interested in playing the role of Gurdit Singh.