TOI Dialogues: Amit Sial recalls his fan moment with Irrfan Khan; shares late actor’s timeless advice for aspiring actors |

Actor Amit Sial took the stage at TOI Dialogues alongside fellow celebrities Anupriya Goenka and Zakir Hussain, as part of a panel discussing the “Growth Story of Kanpur.” During the conversation, Sial shared a touching memory of his fanboy moment with the late Bollywood legend Irrfan Khan and the life-changing advice he received from the actor which he now passes on to aspiring talents in the industry.
During the discussion, Sial was asked what advice he would give young talents from Kanpur. He said, “I always had only one answer to the question, because, that answer had such a deep impact on me. That answer was from Irrfan Bhai (Khan).”

Recalling an encounter at a ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster’ party at Randeep Hooda’s house, Sial narrated, “I opened the door, and Irrfan Bhai was leaving and heading to the terrace. It was a fanboy moment for me. I said, ‘Irrfan Bhai, I’m a big fan of yours.’ He said, ‘No!’ He didn’t want to leave my face. He asked, ‘Are you an actor?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He then said, ‘Keep going,’ and went to the terrace.”

“I think, there can’t be anything better than telling someone to ‘Keep going’.”
He further recalled his discussions with people asking him the difference between a bad actor and a good actor. Sail said, “There is no such thing as a bad or a good actor. There is only an actor. If you just keep doing your work, you will be good. Keep going.”

Fellow panellist Anupriya Goenka also shared her thoughts on guiding young talents, particularly those seeking to transition from corporate careers to the film industry. “They keep asking me, ‘What to do if you want to transition from business to films?’ And as Amit sir said, there is no proper answer to that question. Everyone has their own journey. I just tell people that if you love acting, and really feel that this gives you peace of mind and happiness, then it’s worth it. Otherwise, acting is a very difficult field.”

Goenka also touched on the challenges and pressures actors face, saying, “For any artist, it’s mentally taxing. It’s not worth doing it only for fame or money; it should give you that kind of pleasure inside, and only then can you keep working.”
In addition to offering advice, Goenka reflected on the portrayal of Kanpur in cinema and said, “Maybe content-wise, the stories have not been based here, like, ‘Pan Singh Tomar’ was shot here and ‘Peepli Life’ too. There are such influences, but, the way Lucknow or Banaras has been explored, Kanpur has not yet got its dues.”