CINE STUCK: Fahadh Faasil On Comparisons With Irrfan Khan, 'Why Compare An Orange With An Apple?'
"Calling Fahad Faasil the Irrfan of the South is an insult to both the legendary actors. Irrfan’s personality or work cannot be compared with Fahadh’s in any way," writes Subhash K Jha.
A prominent news-channel on the internet has referred to Fahadh Faasil as the ‘Irrfan Of The South’. It’s like calling Rajinikant the Amitabh Bachchan Of the South or Amitabh Bachchan the Rajinikanth of the North. It displays that acute chauvinism.
Years ago they addressed Kamal Haasan as the Naseeruddin Shah of the South. I guess for his transformative abilities on screen. But why wasn’t the brilliant Naseer called the Kamal Haasan of the North? Or better still, why should any two actors be compared? Do we compare Beethoven to Mozart ? Or Michelle Obama to Hillary Clinton?
Calling Fahad Faasil the Irrfan of the South is a low-blow. In fact it is an insult to both the legendary actors. Irrfan’s personality or work cannot be compared with Fahadh’s in any way. They function in different geopolitical and emotional spaces.
Fahadh’s performances in Maheshinte Prathikaaram ,Varathan, Njan Prakashan, and Kumbalangi Nights display a subtle and spectacular range not to be found in any other actor in the South , barring Nivin Pauly. He can play practically anything . As we can see in the trailer of the soon-to-be-releases Maalik which takes on the thorny issue of the communal divide.
Modestly Fahadh tells me, “There are just a very few things I can do. It's always a permutation and combination of travel within myself. Grey to white. White to black. There are so many things I wish I could have done. But thank you for looking at my work so closely. I guess I’ve been fortunate to do the work that I want to do.This has only been possible because I am a producer on most of my starrers.”
As for the comparison with Irrfan, Fahadh is puzzled. “We are completely different actors. I admire him immensely. But why compare an orange with an apple?”
Image source: instagram/SpotboyE Archives
- Trending
__2024-11-21-10-19-55_small.jpg)