Actor Irrfan Khan will feature in a film adaptation of the novel Moth Smoke by Pakistan born author Mohsin Hamid. The film will be helmed by Oscar-winning film-maker Asif Kapadia. Asif Kapadia and an independent producer Dina Dattani, who was the executive producer of Bombay Velvet, have acquired the rights to the novel. The producer will be introducing the film to buyers at Cannes 2017.
Irrfan Khan will be the lead of the film while the actor characters are being cast. Earlier, Irrfan Khan had worked with Asif Kapadia in 2001 film The Warrior. Talking about his new project, Irrfan Khan said that he has been eagerly waiting for something on which he could work with Asif Kapadia again and ‘Moth Smoke’ excited both of them. They believe it can be set in contemporary times. The film will be set in 1998 against the backdrop of nuclear tests by India and Pakistan. The novel follows Darashikoh Shehzad, a social misfit who begins an affair with his best friend’s wife. With the ongoing tension between Pakistan and India, they have still not locked the locations yet. They will consider both Pakistan and India for the shoot.
Asif Kapadia is currently working on a documentary about football legend Diego Maradona.