The
Slumdog
Millionaire
(SM)
producers
-
Fox-Searchlight
now
want
to
make
a
film
with
Irrfan
Khan
in
the
lead.
Says
Irrfan,
"The
studio
head
Peter
Rice
came
to
me
and
said
he'd
now
like
to
make
a
film
with
me
in
the
lead.
Do
you
know
Peter
Rice
is
responsible
for
the
film's
release?
Otherwise
it
was
going
straight
into
a
DVD
release.
Danny
Boyle
was
in
a
panic
mode
and
was
ready
to
take
the
DVD
offer.
But
the
makers
decided
to
take
the
film
to
Toronto
and
show
it
to
Fox-Searchlight.
They
chased
me
all
over
the
world
to
get
some
lines
re-done,
took
the
film
to
Toronto.
Luckily,
Fox-Searchlight
loved
SM."
Irrfan
can't
stop
marveling
at
what
is
happening
to
the
film.
"Look
at
destiny.
Look
at
the
kids!
People
are
going
mad
over
Freida
Pinto.
The
photographers
won't
leave
her
in
peace
for
even
a
second.
Freida
has
signed
Woody
Allen
and
Dev
Patel
has
signed
Manoj
Shyamalan.
We're
going
to
see
much
more
Bollywood-Hollywood
collaborations
in
future."
Back
in
Mumbai,
Irrfan
Khan
and
Oscars-winner
Resul
Pookutty
had
to
be
whisked
hurried
out
on
a
police
van
from
Mumbai's
airport.
"When
we
landed
we
had
no
idea
what
crowds
were
waiting
for
us
until
we
were
told
it
was
difficult
for
us
to
step
outside.
We
had
leave
in
a
police
van."
Recalling
the
Oscars
experience
Irrfan
says,
"We
never
doubted
that
Slumdog
Millionaire
would
get
the
Oscars.
The
minute
we
stepped
on
to
the
red
carpet
at
the
Kodak
theatre
they
were
shouting
our
names.
The
mood
was,
how
could
you
not
give
this
film
the
Oscars?
Our
producers
Fox
-Searchlight
were
really
anxious.
They
got
the
Best
Film
Oscar
after
40
years.
I
think
the
kids
in
SM
did
the
trick.
They
won
over
the
global
audiences'
hearts.
We
grown-up
actors
were
the
bonus."
The
fruits
of
the
Slumdog
Millionaire
(SM)
experience
at
the
Oscars
and
global
box-office
are
already
ripening.
While
Anil
Kapoor
seemed
to
be
enjoying
every
second
of
his
glamorous
avatar
on
the
red
carpet,
Irrfan
says
he's
very
much
ill-at-ease
doing
it.
"I
love
going
to
film
festivals.
But
not
to
these
red-carpet
thingies."
Recalling
his
touchdown
at
the
Mumbai
airport
after
the
Oscars
Irrfan
says,
"I
felt
like
the
bridegroom
at
a
baraat.
It
was
so
moving.
The
reception
I
got
at
the
Mumbai
airport
was
equal
to
any
Oscar."
He
recalls
his
association
with
Resul
Pookutty
who
won
the
Oscar.
"Resul
and
I
started
our
careers
at
the
same
time.
Resul
kept
working
silently
for
a
decade.
He
deserves
this
recognition.
As
for
me
I
was
pleasantly
surprised
to
be
recognized
in
LA
as
the
actor
from
The
Namesake
and
A
Mighty
Heart."
In
fact
Irrfan
has
been
selected
by
Forbes
magazine
as
one
of
the
6
Bollywood
faces
that
have
made
an
impact
in
Hollywood.
"That
was
news
to
me,
and
very
pleasant
news
at
that.
I've
waited
long
for
this
recognition.
I
became
a
recognizable
name
abroad
after
The
Namesake.
But
I
wish
it
had
happened
after
Warrior.
In
the
truest
sense
it
changed
my
life.
It
came
at
a
time
when
I
was
losing
heart
regarding
the
roles
coming
my
way.
I
was
thinking
of
changing
professions.
I
was
quite
bored.
I
became
an
actor
to
explore
my
emotions
and
go
beyond
the
mundane,
like
Dilip
Kumar
and
Naseeruddin
Shah
did.
I
wanted
to
experience
something
magical.
Warrior
gave
me
that
chance."
Story first published: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 14:50 [IST]