Abhinay Deo has shared a memory from the shoot of Blackmail that reveals how far Irrfan pushed himself while privately battling cancer. Speaking to SCREEN, the director said the actor ran nearly 200 metres for a scene, completed it more than once, and never told the crew he was unwell.
A night take with a quiet warning
The 2018 dark comedy required Irrfan to cover close to 200 metres in a single shot. Deo asked for the scene to be repeated so he could capture tighter coverage. After two full efforts, when the director called for one more pass, Irrfan finally drew a line.
“This is the last take because after this, I might fall.”
Deo told SCREEN that he was taken aback, but assumed the actor was simply tired from shooting in the middle of the night. A few days later, he understood the real reason: Irrfan had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment.
Why the moment still matters
Deo described Irrfan as spontaneous on camera but extremely prepared underneath. He studied his characters closely, yet his performances never seemed rehearsed. The director called him one of the finest actors the country has produced.
For an actor known for measured, unhurried performances, the physical effort behind this shot is easy to miss. Deo’s account puts it into focus: the calm on screen was often the result of enormous will off it.
- Irrfan ran nearly 200 metres in one continuous effort for a Blackmail shot.
- He finished the run and then did the scene again.
- Only before one extra take did he warn Deo that he might fall.
- Deo learned about the cancer diagnosis a few days later.
The account is a reminder of why so many fans still return to Irrfan’s work. He protected the scene and the crew from a private battle, keeping the focus on the performance rather than the illness.
The sequel they never made
Deo also recalled that the two men discussed a follow-up as Blackmail neared completion. Irrfan, aware that his days were numbered, said he would revisit the idea after treatment. While the rough cut was being put together, however, his health worsened. Irrfan, who had a neuroendocrine tumour, died on 29 April 2020 at the age of 53, two years after the film reached theatres.
For viewers, the memory adds a quiet layer to a dark comedy that now doubles as a tribute to an actor who gave everything to a shot, even when his body was asking him to stop.
Source: Hindustan Times