Sarzameen director Kayoze Irani on Ibrahim Ali Khan's stutter in film: 'Wanted him to be vulnerable'

Mint

2 days ago

Director Kayoze Irani recently opened up about the thought process behind Ibrahim Ali Khan's character in 'Sarzameen', revealing how the young actor's real-life speech issues shaped a key aspect of the role.
In a chat with The Indian Express, Kayoze Irani said the character's stutter wasn't written for Ibrahim but eventually became central to the performance.
'The speech issue was there in the film before Ibrahim was even a part of it. But I wanted the relatability to be there. I brought it out of him. Because the character needed to be vulnerable. In the non-aggressive scenes, I definitely wanted him to be vulnerable. So we designed the scenes around Ibrahim,' Irani shared.
Ibrahim, who has earlier spoken about suffering from a speech impediment and hearing problems due to a severe case of jaundice shortly after birth, channelled those experiences into his performance.
Irani also discussed how Ibrahim came on board 'Sarzameen', a project originally intended to be his debut. 'With Ibrahim, I was on the set of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023). Ibrahim was an AD (Assistant Director). He was filling in for Ranveer Singh as they were setting up the shot. Karan sir and I both were sitting behind the monitor and we felt he's got a face for the camera. So we decided to launch him. We did an audition, readings, and a six-month workshop by Atul Mongia with him. That's how we brought him onboard.'
'Sarzameen', featuring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kajol, and Ibrahim Ali Khan in the main roles, is directed by Kayoze Irani. The film released on JioHotstar on July 25. the film tells the story of an Indian Army officer who learns that his long-estranged son has become a militant, whose only aim is to kill his father.