The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) will mark the sixth death anniversary of Irrfan Khan with a special screening of a documentary titled A Story That Refused To Die. The film revisits the making of Paan Singh Tomar and brings together rare and previously unseen footage of the late actor.
The trailer has been unveiled by filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia, offering an early look at what the documentary holds. The original film, released in 2010, also featured Mahie Gill, Vipin Sharma and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in key roles.
Trailer offers a look back at the film’s making
Sharing the trailer on social media, Tigmanshu Dhulia wrote, “Celebrating Irrfan through A Story That Refused to Die, a documentary capturing the incredible journey of making Paan Singh Tomar. With nearly lost footage, it screens for the first time after 14 years at NMACC on 29th April 2026, 8 PM. Trailer out now."
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The preview revisits the process behind one of Hindi cinema’s most talked-about performances. It opens with the line, “A film that stirred souls. A performance etched in time," and promises restored material from the film’s production phase.
Celebrating Irrfan through A Story That Refused to Die, a documentary capturing the incredible journey of making Paan Singh Tomar. With nearly lost footage, it screens for the first time after 14 years at NMACC on 29th April 2026, 8 PM.
— Tigmanshu Dhulia (@dirtigmanshu) April 23, 2026
Trailer out now pic.twitter.com/EfiFLGMV8I
Dhulia is also seen reflecting on how the project began, saying, “I did not have a script in the beginning. I only had this newspaper article and this idea and this passion to make this film."
Irrfan’s craft, unseen footage
The documentary also brings back Irrfan’s own words from the time of filming. Recalling his preparation, he said he listened to real encounter recordings, an experience that deeply affected him.
The trailer includes another candid moment from the actor: “I came to know that it’s asking much more from me than what I expected. I am really fortunate that we could live a story which was lying, not even in our memories, but in our consciousness. Which we heard some time back, but it was not ready to die down."
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Dhulia adds a lighter yet telling memory from the shoot: “Sabse bada darr yahi laga rehta tha ki agar Irrfan ko hi uthaa liya kisine. Kaun dekhega picture? (The biggest fear was always that someone might actually abduct Irrfan himself. Then who would watch the film?)."
Screening details and what to expect
Directed by Ranjeeta Kaur, the documentary has been pieced together from footage that was nearly lost. It captures intimate moments from the sets and focuses on the detailing that shaped Irrfan’s performance, which earned him the National Award for Best Actor.
A Story That Refused To Die will be screened for the first time on April 29, 2026, at NMACC- The Studio. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Bhardwaj, in conversation with Saurabh Dwivedi.
