Even before 'Angrezi Medium' release, Dinesh Vijan wants Irrfan Khan in sequel titled 'Chinese Medium'

When Mumbai Mirror asked Dinesh Vijan if he wishes to take the franchise forward, he not only confirmed in affirmative but said he wants to now make 'Chinese Medium'. "Yes, since education is a universal subject, it should be. There are plans for a Chinese Medium, but it would all depend on my friend Irrfan Khan," stated Dinesh, adding, "Hindi Medium released in China and was a hit. Angrezi Medium, too, will find its way there in a few months. I was in the country four weeks after the first film opened on April 4, 2018, dining at a private room in one of the restaurants when one of the waitresses, having heard that the producer of Hindi Medium was there, came running to tell me she’d seen the film with her young daughter and it had really connected with her. That set me thinking."

He also mentioned, "Now, with Angrezi Medium, we have taken the story out of our country, and because the daughter is older and wants to study in the UK, the crisis is bigger for Irrfan’s character, who, this time, is a single parent. Since the Chinese are all around the globe and are sending their kids abroad for higher studies while struggling with the language barrier, I think the world now deserves a Chinese Medium."

Talking about Irrfan's process and shooting for 'Angrezi Medium' with the actor, the movie's director Homi Adajania told Mid-Day, "Irrfan is a solid [man]. Whenever he would tell me to not stretch [the schedule], or that he was done for the day, I knew he meant it. I was sensitive towards that. There were no doctors on set. He was undergoing treatment, and whenever he needed to leave, he would go for his check-ups and scans."

Homi also added, "He delivers 10 times more than what a director asks for. And, on camera, the performance looks 100 times better than anticipated. He is always present, and despite his circumstances, didn't put up even one false note. Irrfan never wanted pity or sympathy. We would laugh and cry about [his health], but we never denied what it truly was. That was a healthy way to approach it."

In an interview with Bombay Times, Deepak Dobriyal spoke about his tuning and chemistry with Irrfan Khan since Hindi Medium. He said, "My role in Angrezi Medium is not just long in terms of screen time, but also crucial to the story. I was getting a chance to work with Irrfan bhai all over again. In the last decade, we could have worked on so many films together, but things didn’t work out. Hindi Medium ke baad, dobara unke saath kaam karne ka chance meri sabse badi lalach thi. Our tuning had worked out so well in Hindi Medium; I was getting a chance to enhance it further. We had a great time off camera, which is evident in the way we have enacted our scenes together. Our chemistry as brothers seems natural."

Deepak recalled how Irrfan kept a tab on Dobriyal's health and got him three-day-break after a fever outbreak back when they were shooting for their 2003 release 'Maqbool'. It was then that Deepak promised to be there for Irrfan. Talking about their tuning again on the sets of 'Hindi Medium', he added, "I wanted to work with him again and when Hindi Medium came by, I grabbed it. It gave Irrfan bhai and me the chance to catch up on lost time and conversations. At that time, we used to shoot all day, go swimming at night and have meals together. On the shoot, he stopped people from interfering with the way I was trying to improvise my scenes. He supported me like a brother and he subtly showed that he trusts me. That helps enhance a scene so much more. Bhai khiladi aadmi hain. He can handle anything in a scene and make it look great. Iss baar, Angrezi Medium shoot karte waqt hum Thames ke kinaare baithte the London mein. We used to watch cricket together. All of us on the set made sure that we keep the atmosphere light and fun. When he would come on the set, we would first make him laugh and feel at ease, and then start work. Irrfan bhai’s enthusiasm kept the spirit of the team really high."

Dinesh Vijan confirmed in his Mumbai Mirror interview that there is no delay in Irrfan Khan, Radhika Madan and Kareena Kapoor Khan-starring film 'Angrezi Medium' due to coronavirus. He said that his father looking out for him from up makes him confident. "While safety is a concern, except for the Delhi-NCR belt, the number of cases is not all that alarming yet, and from Baaghi 3’s opening numbers, it is evident that people are still going to the theatres. This film has been made against all odds, with a lot of love, and I believe we should release it now rather than pitch it four months later," said Dinesh about Irrfan's Bollywood comeback film.