Q Would you like to talk about your emotional journey as a filmmaker while making this film, especially because the story talks about an important aspect of society, secondly Irrfan was struggling with his own battle while shooting it?
AS: At the end of the shoot in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Irrfan told me that shooting ‘The Song of the Scorpions’ had been the happiest shoot he had ever done. And that was true because we had excellent and passionate producers: Saskia Vischer, Shahaf, Thierry Lenouvel, Justin Deiman, and Michel Merkt. They made sure that we could make the film exactly as we wanted to. Making the film was a joy. What came later was heartbreak.
We were elated when the film had its international premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. It was screened on one of the largest outdoor screens in the world, with an audience of 10,000 people. It then traveled to some of the finest other film festivals in the world including Rotterdam, London, Dubai, Torino, and numerous others.
It won awards for best actress, best actor, best film, and best director at various festivals, and the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Musical Contribution at the Soundscreen Film Festival, Ravenna, Italy. And our joy had no bounds when it then found release in Europe. But, for whatever reason, we could not find any distributor in India. It was heartbreaking for me to keep telling Irrfan that we had failed with another possible distributor in India, and another and another.
A little later, in 2018, it became even more agonizing because suddenly he shared with us that he was diagnosed with cancer. At that point, my producers and I, gave up all our sense of politeness, our sense of shame, and started calling just about everyone we could to help us distribute the film in India. We even reached back to all who had said ‘No’ earlier. I met Irrfan at his hospital in London. He said to me, “Anup Saab, every film has its destiny. Wait.” I looked at him, weak on his hospital bed, but still trying to console me. My throat choked, but his words did give me the strength to keep hoping. As his health steadily deteriorated, I would sometimes get a call from him late at night. One of the last times we talked he said, “Make it happen, Anup Saab. I would like to see it on the big screen here in India. Who knows how much time there is.”
Just before he passed away, we heard from Shiva Sharma of 70mm Talkies and Kumar Mangat of Panorama Studios that they were committing themselves to the release of ‘The Song of Scorpions’ in India. I sent a text message to Irrfan. I don’t know if he ever saw it. The film was finally at the edge of release in 2021, but just a week before it opened in theatres, we were in the grasp of the Covid pandemic. Even after the pandemic cleared, it took a while for the theatres to open and the audiences to return to cinema.
Now, in 2023, on Irrfan’s third death anniversary, the film will finally open in theatres all over India. As the director of the film, I am overjoyed. As the director of the film, I am devastated that my friend, my muse, the mesmerizing actor of the film is not going to see it on the big screen as it was at long last release in India.