A significant film made and lost twenty-five years ago, entitled The Last Tenant featuring the once-in-a-lifetime pair of Irrfan Khan and Vidya Balan is now available on YouTube.
The film’s director, Sarthak Dasgupta, recalls the film’s craggy journey. “It was 1999-2000. I had just begun as a filmmaker — a novice with everything to learn. I hadn’t assisted anyone. I hadn’t been to film school. There was no Amazon to order books from. No YouTube to watch tutorials on. Fuelled by pure intuition, I had embarked on a journey, still unsure if it could become a career.”
This is when Sarthak decided to make a film. “I decided the only way to find out was by doing. So I wrote something. Broke my mother’s FD. Produced and directed a short film. I approached Irrfan Khan. He said yes in one go. I approached Vidya Balan. She said yes in one go, too. Both of them were at the cusp of their illustrious careers.”
After making the film, Sarthak lost the footage. “I made the film. And while I was looking for a way to sell it, I lost the footage — one Beta cassette went missing, the other had grown fungus. I abandoned it. It faded into a faraway memory. Until a few weeks ago, when I found a VHS tape of the film tucked away. Compromised quality, but who cares — it is still my first film. On Irrfan’s death anniversary, I’m sharing it with the world as a tribute to him. Over the years, we often spoke and planned films together, but this remains our only collaboration. I was new then. A greenhorn, as they say. Irrfan and Vidya were not. And yet, it remains one of the best experiences I have ever had as a director, working with actors.”
The Last Tenant is remarkable for two powerhouse performers, Irrfan and Vidya, coming together for the first and last time.
