Irrfan is on a high, having bagged the Filmfare award for Best Actor. But the stylish actor is taking his win in his characteristic cool and casual manner. He is more satisfied that Hindi Medium reached the masses without changing its style of storytelling. “That was the real challenge,” he points out.

Speaking about the “strange compartmentalization” at award functions, he mused that if someone is doing critically acclaimed work, he does not reach the mainstream audience. This win, for him, is an indication that times are changing and the audience is demanding more refined and relatable stories. In fact, he goes so far as to say that there shouldn’t be a demarcation between critics and popular awards anymore!

RECOMMENDED READ: WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR WORK, WORLD BELIEVES TOO: IRRFAN ON WINNING FILMFARE 2018 BEST ACTOR

Small films doing well at the box office is definitely a heartening trend and Irrfan claims that it is only getting stronger. “All the popular actors are trying to find stories that are more relatable. The audience either wants popcorn entertainment or something that they can relate to while also getting entertained. The line is blurring. It’s a good time for the movies.”

Musing on the message of Hindi Medium, which was about staying true to one’s roots rather than aping the West blindly, he maintained, “I believe that one should not follow anything blindly. You have to explore things and form your own opinion. Nothing should be taken the way it’s told to you, you should experience things by yourself otherwise you are just in auto mode.”

Post his big win, Irrfan had also come out to say, “Hindi Medium is very close to my heart and I wish to keep telling stories like these for the audience. When you believe in your work, the world also believes with you. It is good to know that the stories you believe in is what the audiences are also looking for. It’s time for a change and I am glad there is acceptance of this change.”

Tweeting about the journey of Hindi Medium, he said it had been a testament to the celebration of a story that is “told from the heart, of good content and most of all they want and sincerity to inculcate and encourage change”.

For fans of the film, there is good news in store as the actor also revealed that producer Dinesh Vijan is working on an idea for a sequel to Hindi Medium and will announce it in few weeks if things work out.