Karwaan producer Priti Rathi Gupta says actor Irrfan Khan is promoting the film even while undergoing treatment in London for a neuroendocrine tumour.
“I know he is going through a journey and we are missing him around, we are missing his physical presence. But in the digital era, we all can be involved in things on social media,” Gupta said. “That is exactly what he is doing by promoting the film on social media. So I do not think his absence from the promotional activity will affect the film in anyway.”
Khan is known not only in Bollywood but also in the international film circuit for having worked in films such as The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man and Life of Pi.
“I know for a fact that he has his loyal fans across the world and everyone is looking forward to watching the film. We were more than glad to know that he agreed to do the film in the beginning. He has done a fantastic job as always,” Gupta added.
The producer, who also backed the film Waiting with her banner Ishka Films alongside Drishyam Films, said she nurtured the idea of making Karwaan for a long time.
“I loved the story and decided to give it a life. After dealing with a few obstacles, production houses started pursuing the script and Ronnie Screwvala’s production house RSVP was among them. I always wanted to partner with him because he is an institution by himself and being a newcomer, I wanted a learning experience from him,” she said.
Asked why she did not make Karwaan her debut film as a producer Gupta said: “This could have been my first film as a producer but when I was facing difficulties the film Waiting came my way. It was the same time I lost my mother, so I thought making that film at that point in time could be cathartic for me. So I just kept this story [Karwaan] in the back knowing that very soon I will start working on it. Now, we are here.”
Directed by Akarsh Khurana, Karwaan releases in India on August 3. It revolves around three oddballs from different walks of life who are thrown together on a bizarre journey that helps them find normalcy in their lives.
