The Warrior (, 2001)

“He elevated simple lines to brilliant cinematic moments, could make you feel something very complex and emotional by doing very little. He was a real movie star.” – Asif Kapadia on Irrfan , writing in last week

Thursday 7 May 2020, London. The BFI today announces a special digital event to celebrate the beloved actor , who sadly died in April. The online event, which is part of the ongoing BFI at Home programme, will feature director Asif Kapadia in conversation with BFI Head of Programme and Acquisitions Stuart Brown. The event will celebrate the extraordinary actor, who enjoyed huge success in both and the West, and reflect on THE WARRIOR (2001), Kapadia’s debut feature, and a film and performance that proved pivotal in Khan’s career. The event will take place live, for free, on BFI YouTube on Friday 15 May at 19:00 BST. THE WARRIOR will be added to BFI Player early next week, so that audiences are able to watch or revisit the film ahead of the event.

In THE WARRIOR, which won the Sutherland Award at the BFI London Film Festival in 2001, Irrfan Khan plays Lafcadia, the leader of a group of warriors hired by a local lord to enforce his rule among the people. When he is ordered to punish a village that has failed to pay tribute, Lafcadia, torn between the path of peace and the path of war, renounces his violent ways and sets off on a journey to the mountain village in which he was born. The lord then dispatches Lafcadia’s second-in- command, to track-down the former warrior.

As well as THE WARRIOR, Khan’s varied career saw him star in films such as , , and (the latter two of which are available on BFI Player), and in 2013 BFI Southbank was delighted to welcome him onstage to talk about his career with Asif Kapadia as part of the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF). The full interview from LIFF 2013 is also available to watch on BFI YouTube.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Press Contacts:

Liz Parkinson – PR Manager, BFI Cultural Programme [email protected] 020 7957 8918

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About the BFI The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image. It is a cultural charity that:  Curates and presents the greatest international public programme of World Cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online  Cares for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world  Actively seeks out and supports the next generation of filmmakers  Works with Government and industry to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally

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