Actor Vicky Kaushal will replace Irrfan Khan for the role, who reportedly is recuperating from neuroendocrine tumour treatment
Mumbai: Actor Vicky Kaushal seems to have found his niche in the film world, doing what he does best, enacting the true stories of real-life heroes. After a stellar performance in Uri The Surgical Strike, Kaushal is set to replace actor Irrfan Khan in Shoojit Sircar’s Udham Singh.
Shaheed Udham Singh was a Punjabi revolutionary, who assassinated the then lieutenant governor of Punjab, Michael O' Dwyer, in an act to seek revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. He was subsequently convicted of murder and hanged in 1940.
The Madras Cafe director, Shoojit Sircar, said, “I have been waiting to tell the heroic tale of Shaheed Udham Singh for a very long time. It is a story very close to my heart. For it, I needed an actor who could give his heart and soul to the film, be with me and tell the story together. Vicky fits the bill perfectly. I have seen his work and the dedication he brings to it. I’m very happy he is on board this project."
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Meanwhile, Kaushal is also super-excited about the role claiming that Sircar was on top of the list of directors he always wished to work with. He said, "So it is like a dream come true that he is finally directing me. And, what better story than Udham Singh! Being a Punjabi, I have always heard about his stories, heard about his life as I was growing up and he has always come across as a mysterious character. The more mysterious a character, the more stimulating it becomes for an actor and for the director as well. I am so looking forward to becoming Udham Singh and translating Shoojit sir’s vision. I just feel that this is one person whose life story India should know and I am really excited for this journey to start.”
On the other hand, actor Irrfan Khan is currently in Mumbai recuperating from his recent treatment for a neuroendocrine tumor in London. Shoojit said in a statement, “Irrfan and I have had a discussion on this. He is recovering well and is in a good mood. He wants to start work on films but for now, he would like to do a film that does not require the kind of strenuous physical action that this film would. He told me to move on since we have waited for long on this film. He and I are in touch and we are working on something else together.”
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