FTII Releases Rare 90s Films Featuring Irrfan Khan, Seen Yet?
The latest releases, now available on FTII’s YouTube channel, depict the stories young filmmakers wanted to tell in the early 90s while also showcasing Irrfan Khan’s early brilliance.
In a remarkable feat, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has just released a rare collection of remastered 90s student films, ‘Irrfan Unveiled’. The films showcase the early brilliance of an actor who went on to redefine storytelling on screen with his undeniable talent. The latest releases, now available on FTII’s YouTube channel, depict the stories young filmmakers wanted to tell in the early 90s.
Each of these student films revolves around the themes of power, class, isolation and human psychology. One of them, titled ‘A Briefcase Full of Reflexive Maladies’ (1992), is based on the quiet and sinister impact on human relationships, showcasing characters who are connected due to their attitudes towards wealth and ambition. The film, in contrast to regular cinema, does not have conventional dialogue but screams the grip of capitalism on the choices of humans.
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Next up, there is ‘You Can’t Give Any Reason’ (1992), which follows the story of a powerless family trapped in the conspiracies of a middle-aged officer. Then comes Veg. Non-Veg (1992), is a crime drama about a gangster, tasked with kidnapping a girl who falls in love with the victim. It raises the question – can a relationship co-exist in an ecosystem built on brutality?
Moving next, there is ‘Manoeuvre’ (1992), the plot of which deals with obsession and buried trauma. The storyline takes an interesting turn when an incident triggers a man’s memories of childhood violence, which eventually leads to a haunting game between the protagonist and the woman who has become both his object of desire and destruction.
Finally, we have Reconnaissance (1990) and Morning (1990) in the list. Renaissance features a melancholic young man navigating the state of self-criticism, struggling to communicate his feelings while being trapped between the love he imagines and the passion he suppresses. The film resonates with many for its portrayal of loneliness.
As for Morning, the film is an adaptation of an Anton Chekhov story, diving into a devastating character of a young housemaid, exhausted by the relentless hard work to take care of a wealthy family’s child which reaches a breaking point that is shocking and disturbingly cathartic.
Meanwhile, Irrfan Khan’s last film was Angrezi Medium, which was released before his death on 29 April 2020. The actor passed away at the age of 53.
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