'He would quietly come, become the character and maintain that composure': Saarthak Dasgupta on working with Irrfan Khan

Filmmaker Saarthak Dasgupta found this out in the most unexpected way when he came across an old VHS tape while cleaning his house. It turned out to be 'The Last Tenant', a film he made 25 years ago with Irrfan Khan and Vidya Balan, back when both were still finding their footing in the industry. The film has now been put up online, giving viewers a rare and moving look at two of Indian cinema's most loved actors from their early days.Speaking to Variety India, Dasgupta reflected on what it feels like to finally see a film reach audiences after more than two decades. With a calm that could only come from years of patience, he shared, "To see a film released after 25 years, man. Look, my life has been tempered to wait. 'Music Teacher' was written 17 years before it got made. This was made and then released after 26 years. 'Dharavi Bank' was written eight years before it got made. 'The Great Indian Butterfly' sat unreleased for seven years. So it happens. Some lives are like these." He then took a moment before offering what sounded like hard-earned wisdom, "Either you take to the bottle and become depressed or else you keep writing and keep working and be happy about it. So I chose the second. You have to be spiritual also at the same time while being an artist."Dasgupta recalls meeting Irrfan Khan and said, "I met him at his apartment. He heard the script and immediately said, 'I'll do it.' Then, suddenly, I was next-level (sic) nervous." But what made the entire experience bearable, he says, was the warmth and professionalism both actors brought to the set. "I was very scared. Not of them, but generally. Because I was producing, I had also written it, and till you test yourself, you doubt everything you do. Plus I had to also be the boss on set, keep an eye on the money and direct the film. But they were very nice. No unusual demands, no tantrums, no impunctuality. Vidya and I used to laugh a lot and talk about life, relationships and random things. Irrfan was already Irrfan. He would quietly come and become the character and maintain that composure."Written and directed by Sarthak Dasgupta and produced by Neena and Sarthak Dasgupta, ‘The Last Tenant’ has been released as a tribute to Irrfan Khan.