Before Tigmanshu Dhulia made his own films, he was the casting director on Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen from 1994. Dhulia had recommended Irrfan for the role eventually played by Nirmal Pandey. When Dhulia made his own biopic Paan Singh Tomar, he cast Irrfan as the eponymous soldier and athlete who finds that he cannot outrun his past.

Tomar was a steeplechase champion who represented India at the Asian Games in 1958. Dhulia’s movie explores the family feud, corruption and disrespect that force Tomar to turn to dacoity. Tomar was killed in a standoff with the police in 1981.

Paan Singh Tomar was released in 2012. The film is a high point for both the director and Irrfan.

This was not the first time Dhulia and Irrfan had worked together. Their association dates back to Dhulia’s feature debut Haasil in 2003. They had given several interviews about the challenges of shooting Paan Singh Tomar on actual locations, including the Chambal Valley. Proof of the enormous effort involved in mounting the production can be found in Ranjeeta Kaur’s documentary A Story That Refused to Die.

Kaur was working as a maker of behind-the-scenes films at the time. Producers commissioned Kaur to attend shoots and record pivotal moments and interviews. A Story That Refused to Die was meant to be a series...

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