What was being feared has happened. Irrfan Khan, one of the finest Bollywood actors of our time, breathed his last this morning. He had been hospitalised yesterday at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Bombay for a colon infection. He passed away at the hospital today (29th April). He was 54. He had neuroendocrine tumour since the last almost two years and had also undergone several surgeries for the same. He is survived by his wife and two children. Irrfan’s mother, Saeeda Begum, had passed away just four days back — on 25th April.
Irrfan’s last release was Angrezi Medium which had hit the screens just before the industry shut down in March this year. In fact, it was the biggest Bollywood release before the lockdown.
Sahebzade Irrfan Ali Khan was born on 7th January, 1966 in Jaipur. He learnt acting from the National School of Drama. He did television before he entered films. He also worked in some Hollywood films and made a mark there too. Irrfan’s style of acting was so realistic that it never seemed, he was acting. His big screen debut was in Salaam Bombay (1988). He won a lot of critical acclaim for his role as a villain in Maqbool (2004). A year earlier, he also made his mark in Haasil. His performance in Life In A… Metro proved to be a landmark film as far as his career was concerned. Paan Singh Tomar also won him a lot of accolades and the National Award for the Best Actor. The Lunchbox won Irrfan worldwide acclaim. Among the other films in which his sterling performances will be remembered are Piku, Haider, Gunday and Talvar. His Hindi Medium gave his career another huge boost when it became a hit. That film went on to become one of the few Bollywood films to score in China too.
Among the Hollywood films he acted in were The Warrior, The Namesake, The Darjeeling Limited, Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man, Life Of Pi, and Jurassic World.
Irrfan Khan was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2011.
An incident clearly etched out in my memory about the great human being Irrfan was comes to mind as I (Komal Nahta) write this piece. It was in 2017. His Hindi Medium was due to be released on 19th May that year. I was scheduled to go to the USA for an urgent personal work on the same day (19th May). There was no way I could have gone had I not seen Hindi Medium before its release as I had to shoot the review episode for my show, ETC Bollywood Business, on Zee ETC, which was to be telecast on the same night (19th May). At that time, the film’s producers, Super Cassettes, had not been inviting me for the press screenings of their films for whatever reasons. Without watching the film prior to Friday, I would have to cancel my USA trip. So, I did what I thought was the best option — I telephoned Irrfan Khan and told him my entire story. I also told him that I would have to cancel my USA trip (which was very important) if I did not get a chance to watch his Hindi Medium before Friday. He asked me to plan my trip and assured me that he would show me the film a day or two before the Friday of release. He kept his promise. He invited me for his private screening. The show started even though Irrfan was not around. He landed in Bombay from Jaipur while I was watching the film in that screening at Sunny Super Sounds. There were mostly Irrfan’s personal friends at the screening and I was probably the only industry person. He reached Sunny Super Sounds in the interval. When I got a chance to meet and greet him after many of his personal friends had met him, he smiled and said, “Komal saab, pataa hai, mere saare dost mujhe poochh rahe hain ki yeh kaun hai.” (“Komal sir, all my friends are asking me about you, they want to know who you are.”) (Since they were not from the industry, they did not know me.) When I asked why they wanted to know who I was, his smile grew broader as he replied, “Each one of them has told me that this guy (that is, me) is laughing so much and so loudly that hum inhe dekh kar aur bhi zyaada hans rahe hain.” (His friends had told him that they had been laughing in the screening more because I had been laughing so loudly and so much.) I told Irrfan, I was indeed enjoying the film thoroughly and that it would prove to be a big hit. Irrfan left as soon as the film’s second half started. Hence I didn’t get to meet him after the second half which, I might add here, was as entertaining, if not more. Anyway, we were on sms chat the next morning when he asked me what I would be saying about the film in my review. I told him, I would, obviously, predict that it would be a big hit. I remember his reply to my sms. He said, “Mujhe darr tha ki aap review toh bura doge kyun ki Super Cassettes ne aap ko show ke liye nahi invite kiya.” (“I was fearful that you would give the film a negative review despite loving it, as the producers had not invited you.”) I replied back, “Irrfan bhai, kisi ke bulane ya nahi bulane se kya hota hai. Agar aap bhi mujhe aap ke personal screening ke liye nahi bulaate toh bhi mera aap ki film ke liye review hit hee hota.” (“Irrespective of whether the producers, or even you, invited me or not, my review would be what the film deserves.”) Irrfan concluded the sms chat by complimenting me for my honesty. I thanked him for making my US trip possible and assured him thus: “Agar Bhagwan bhi zameen par aa kar kahenge ki maine mere review mein dishonesty ki hai, I will prove Him wrong.” (“Even if God were to say that I was dishonest in my review, I would have a way to prove Him wrong.”) He thanked me for being the way I was.
Irrfan bhai, rest in peace. The world of acting will miss you forever.