It was January 2010. We landed in Gulmarg straight from Bombay in our canvas sneakers for the first night’s shoot of 7 Khoon Maaf.
I will always remember it as the coldest night of my life as we shot in knee-deep snow, all night, completely unprepared.
What kept us going through that freezing night was the magic unfolding before us – Vishal Bhardwaj directing the magnificently talented Irrfan and Priyanka Chopra in a very dark and psychological scene.
This duo of Vishal-Irrfan had created cinematic magic before with Maqbool, and it was an honour for me to see their incredible chemistry.
We shot in Kashmir for 10 days.
This was my second film with Vishal as a still photographer, but the only time I worked with Irrfan. He played Waseeullah, an intense, brooding poet. Irrfan’s deep-set eyes and quiet intensity did perfect justice to the part.
Crowds would throng our shoot to catch a glimpse of him and Priyanka Chopra.
Irrfan was a pleasure to follow through my lens and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to make some memorable images of him.
See more of Aparna Jayakumar’s work on her website and Instagram feed.
Also read:
Irrfan (1967-2020): A powerhouse talent gone too soon
Irrfan tribute: The story behind his moving speech in Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’
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