‘You’ll make Kal Ho Naa Ho again’: Irrfan Khan refused D-Day, accepted only when Anurag Kashyap said ‘Nikkhil Advani behak gaya tha’
Nikkhil Advani revealed that Irrfan Khan initially rejected the script of D-Day, and it was Anurag Kashyap who ultimately convinced the late legend to take on the film.
Those eyes. Those bloody eyes of Irrfan Khan. That line, by itself, says everything about the talent the late legend possessed. One could go on counting the many performances where his eyes shone the brightest, moments where they spoke before words ever could. And yet, not many would include Nikkhil Advani’s highly underrated D-Day in that list, where, once again, his eyes shocked, disarmed, evaded, and confounded, and in doing so, moved you. What makes it even more compelling is the knowledge that despite how extraordinary he was in the film, he almost rejected it. He was unsure of Advani’s capabilities as a director, uncertain whether he could helm a no-nonsense spy actioner.
In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Advani revealed Irrfan’s initial reaction upon hearing the script. “Irrfan kept telling me, ‘Yaar, tu Kal Ho Naa Ho banayega toh. Kal Ho Naa Ho ke jaise beech mein gaane daalega. Itna achha script hai, tu yeh sab kar dega uss mein.’” (You’ll make it like Kal Ho Naa Ho, add songs in between. It’s such a good script, you’ll end up doing all that to it.)
Advani went on to share that it was Anurag Kashyap who ultimately convinced Irrfan to come on board. “Then it was Kashyap who told him, ‘Arey, isne Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin likhi thi. Yeh behak gaya tha abhi, wapas aa gaya hai. Tu kar le, kar le.’” (He wrote Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin. He had gone off track for a bit, but he’s back now. You should do it, go ahead.”)
Irrfan Khan was briefly insecure when he heard that Rishi Kapoor would play Dawood Ibrahim in D-Day.
Advani also pointed out the irony that despite Kashyap’s influence on many of Irrfan’s career decisions, the two never actually collaborated on a film together. Several projects Irrfan took up, he said, were based on Kashyap’s informal advice, “do this, do that”, rather than formal collaborations.
The filmmaker further revealed that Irrfan briefly felt insecure when he learned that Rishi Kapoor would be playing the role of Dawood Ibrahim. “When I called him and told him that Rishi Kapoor is doing Dawood, he said, ‘Yaar, abhi toh sab kuch le jaayega woh phir. Lines bhi saari achhi ussi character ke paas hain. Rishi sir is too good.’” (Man, he’s going to take everything away now. All the best lines are with that character. Rishi sir is too good.)
In the same conversation, Advani reflected on how D-Day became a turning point in his career. “D-Day didn’t just change me as a filmmaker, it made people call me a filmmaker. Till then, I was struggling to be known as one. When the D-Day reviews came, somebody wrote, ‘Can’t believe the director of Kal Ho Naa Ho has made this film.’ Suddenly, they acknowledged that I was the director of Kal Ho Naa Ho.”
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Watch the episode of Cult Comebacks on D-Day here:
He also addressed the film’s box-office failure, noting that despite its commercial fate, D-Day was widely appreciated within the industry. “I was very happy just with the fact that I made the film the way I wanted to. We did around 20 previews, and from Amitabh Bachchan to Javed Akhtar, everyone came. By the time it was about to release, people from the industry would call and say, ‘Can we come watch it? We’ve heard it’s fantastic.’ We had back-to-back shows, one 6 o’clock, then 9 o’clock, for days.”
Anas Arif is a prolific Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Analyst at The Indian Express, where he specializes in the intersection of Indian pop culture, auteur-driven cinema, and industrial ethics. His writing is defined by a deep-seated commitment to documenting the evolving landscape of Indian entertainment through the lens of critical theory and narrative authorship.
Experience & Career
As a core member of The Indian Express entertainment vertical, Anas has cultivated a unique beat that prioritizes the "craft behind the celebrity." He has interviewed a vast spectrum of industry veterans, from blockbuster directors like Vijay Krishna Acharya, Sujoy Ghosh, Maneesh Sharma to experimental filmmakers and screenwriters like Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Varun Grover, Rajat Kapoor amongst several others. His career is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, where he frequently tackles the ethical implications of mainstream cinema and the socio-political subtext within popular media. He is also the host of the YouTube series Cult Comebacks, where he talks to filmmakers about movies that may not have succeeded initially but have, over time, gained a cult following. The show aims to explore films as works of art, rather than merely commercial ventures designed to earn box office revenue.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Anas's expertise lies in his ability to deconstruct cinematic works beyond surface-level reviews. His focus areas include:
Auteur Studies: Detailed retrospectives and analyses of filmmakers such as Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, and Neeraj Ghaywan, often exploring their central philosophies and creative evolutions.
Cinematic Deconstruction: Examining technical and narrative choices, such as the use of aspect ratios in independent films (Sabar Bonda) or the structural rhythm of iconic soundtracks (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge).
Industrial & Social Ethics: Fearless critique of commercial blockbusters, particularly regarding the promotion of bigoted visions or the marginalization of communities in mainstream scripts.
Exclusive Long-form Interviews: Conducting high-level dialogues with actors and creators to uncover archival anecdotes and future-looking industry insights.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Anas Arif has established himself as a trusted voice by consistently moving away from standard PR-driven journalism. Whether he is interrogating the "mythology of Shah Rukh Khan" in modern sequels or providing a space for independent filmmakers to discuss the "arithmetic of karma," his work is rooted in objectivity and extensive research. Readers look to Anas for an educated viewpoint that treats entertainment not just as a commodity, but as a critical reflection of the country's collective conscience. ... Read More
Irrfan Khan was briefly insecure when he heard that Rishi Kapoor would play Dawood Ibrahim in D-Day.
