'Irrfan's Contribution To Cinema Remains Eternal'

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April 22, 2026 16:50 IST

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Honouring the late Irrfan Khan's enduring legacy, a compelling documentary A Story That Refused to Die, chronicling his transformative journey during the making of Paan Singh Tomar, is set to be screened at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre on his sixth death anniversary.

Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar

IMAGE: Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar.

Key Points

  • A documentary titled A Story That Refused to Die, focusing on Irrfan Khan's journey during the filming of Paan Singh Tomar, will be screened at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre on April 29, marking the acclaimed actor's sixth death anniversary.
  • Directed by Ranjeeta Kaur, the documentary features rare and unseen footage from the making of Paan Singh Tomar.
  • A discussion with Director Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Bhardwaj will follow the screening.
 

Honouring the late Irrfan Khan's legacy, a special documentary chronicling his journey during Paan Singh Tomar has been announced.

The film will be screened at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre on his sixth death anniversary on April 29.

A Story That Refused to Die

Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar

IMAGE: Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar.

A Story That Refused to Die, a documentary by Ranjeeta Kaur, 'brings back rare, unseen moments of Irrfan Khan during the making of Paan Singh Tomar.'

Drawn from nearly lost footage, the film emerges as 'a quiet but determined act of preservation and perseverance -- holding onto fleeting, deeply human fragments of an irreplaceable artist at work'.

The screening will be followed by a discussion featuring Director Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Bhardwaj, in conversation with Saurabh Dwivedi.

'Making Paan Singh Tomar wouldn't have been possible without my strongest confidant, Irrfan'

Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar

IMAGE: Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar.

'The journey of making Paan Singh Tomar went through its share of storms,' Tigmanshu Dhulia said, 'but Hemingway said it right, 'Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light'.

'Making Paan Singh Tomar wouldn't have been possible without my strongest confidant, Irrfan. And now, it's been six years without him, but just like the title of this documentary, A Story That Refused To Die, Irrfan's contribution to cinema remains eternal,' Dhulia added.

'With nearly lost footage now restored, this special documentary will be screened for the first time in 14 years.'

'I was very fortunate to have been part of a masterpiece in the making,' Ranjeeta Kaur, director of the documentary, added. 'The experience was so powerful that it steered me towards my own path in cinema.'

'Undoubtedly, it was the power of resilience that I took from the journey of Paan Singh Tomar that kept me from giving up. This documentary is my salute to Paan Singh Tomar, to Irrfan Khan, and to the power of cinema.'

Irrfan passed away at a Mumbai hospital on April 29, 2020. He was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour and lost his life to it.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff