Aarif Sheikh

Biography:

Aarif Sheikh, an editor of national acclaim, has made notable contributions to films such as ‘Drishyam,’ ‘Noor,’ and ‘Baadshaho,’ as well as ‘D-Day,’ ‘Haider,’ and ‘Phantom,’ among others.

In the realm of cinema, the focus often gravitates toward acting, cinematography, background scores, and music, overshadowing the intricacies of post-production. Aarif Sheikh, a distinguished editor, ventured into direction and editing with the 2009 Bollywood film ‘Let’s Dance,’ featuring Gayatri Patel, Ajay Chaudhary, and Aquib Afzal in lead roles.

His expertise extends to editing song and dance sequences, evident in ‘Damadam,’ a film starring Himesh Reshammiya with the track ‘No Kissing, Only Touching,’ featuring actress Purbi. Sheikh’s proficiency is further exemplified in the animated movie ‘Delhi Safari,’ featuring voiceovers by Christopher Lloyd, Jane Lynch, and Jason Alexander.

Despite the commercial disappointment of ‘Dum Maaro Dum,’ the film’s song and fight sequences set in Goa received widespread acclaim. The movie boasted a cast including Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu, Vidya Balan, and Abhishek Bachchan. The post-production phase of ‘Haider’ proved particularly challenging after completing principal photography in Kashmir. Certain scenes, including action sequences, campus scenes, and a song with a bare back, underwent reevaluation by the censor board, leading to additional editing and the removal of dialogues and crucial scenes involving Shahid Kapoor.

‘Haider’ remains one of the standout movies featuring Shahid, Irrfan, and Tabu. Following ‘Haider,’ Kabir Khan’s ‘Phantom’ faced editing challenges, especially with underwater scenes and fight sequences shot in Kashmir during winter.

Even in routine editing tasks, such as ‘Drishyam,’ Aarif Sheikh’s work received commendation. His prowess was further demonstrated in the climax scene of the fight in the recent Ajay Devgan starrer ‘Baadshaho.’