New Delhi: Veteran actor Mushtaq Khan died just before he could dub his final film Poniiy. Now director Shibesh Motilal is trying to salvage the actor’s voice from the shoot so that he can still be heard, and not just seen, in the film ahead of its expected release on October 16.
“For us to preserve his last voice is top priority,” Motilal told ThePrint, adding that he is working with engineers to retain Khan’s original voice. Most of the film’s post-production is complete, but Khan had yet to dub his dialogues.
He died on Thursday after a battle with cancer.
“He acted so well that had it been the stereo era, we would have easily retained his original voice from the shoot,” Motilal said.
But in the era of 3D sound, films often re-record dialogue after shooting so that voices come through more clearly in theatres. That left the filmmakers with a choice after Khan’s death: replace his voice or try to rescue what they already had. Motilal chose the latter.
“We will remove noise from his original voice, use some editing software, and try to retain it,” he said.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Khan became a familiar face in Hindi cinema, particularly in comic and supporting roles. He was perhaps best known for his role in Welcome and the line: “Meri ek taang nakli hai, main hockey ka bahut bada khiladi tha” — “One of my legs is artificial. I was a very good hockey player.”
His other notable films include Aashiqui, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Hera Pheri, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Rowdy Rathore, Wanted, Stree, Badhaai Do, Gadar 2 and Stree 2.
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‘A one-shot actor’
Motilal said he remembers Khan as a humble man and a “one-shot” actor.
“He spoke to me with utmost respect even though I am junior to him in age,” said Motilal, who has worked in both Bengali and Hindi cinema. His previous films include Nishi Paddo, The Dark Matter, Detective Nysa and Ke Tui Bol.
Khan had recently completed treatment for lung cancer at the time of the shoot, but he still appeared unwell. Despite this, he pulled through a 14-hour shooting day without complaint. The crew noticed him needing to rest between takes and use the washroom frequently, but assumed it was because he was diabetic.
Motilal had originally planned to cast Khan in a negative role, but later switched him to a comic part.
“The comic character was better suited to his personality,” he said.
The Hindi feature, which is awaiting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), is a family drama about a young girl and a dog named Poniiy searching for the animal’s missing owner. Motilal described Khan’s character as the “last survivor”. The cast also includes Ananya Raava Basu, Kunal Singh, Rahul Roy, Raju Kher and Garima Agarwal.
After Khan’s death, there was an outpouring of tributes from actors, filmmakers and even politicians. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked him on X for “making us laugh with your impeccable comic timing”, while actor Ravi Kishan described him as “a versatile actor with unlimited range”.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)