Shoojit Sircar: Vicky deserved the Best Actor award

Updated On: 26 August, 2023 07:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka Sharma

Sardar Udham director says Kaushal’s haunting performance should have been recognised, as he dedicates film’s National Award wins to original choice Irrfan Khan

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A still from the film

When we get on a call with Shoojit Sircar a day after his Sardar Udham (2021) bagged five wins at the 69th National Awards, including the Best Hindi Film, the joy in his voice is palpable. And yet, there is also a lingering guilt. The filmmaker dedicates the National Award to his late actor-friend Irrfan Khan, the original choice for the role. “There is some kind of guilt in me that I did not work with him on this. He had also told me to move on. Every day, deep inside me, it hurts. I got the award, but he wasn’t here. The vacuum is still there. It’s not just Sardar Udham, I will dedicate whatever I can to him,” says Sircar.

Irrfan Khan and Shoojit Sircar