When Irrfan Khan joined his mother in peace in heavenly abode

Wednesday, 29 April 2020, a day that Indian cinema and India per se will never forget, as the nation lost a gem of a person, Irrfan Khan.

When Bollywood director Shoojit Sircar tweeted about the demise of 53-year-old Irrfan Khan, it felt as if a sudden vacuum was created amidst the stress of COVID-19, but within a second we all realised that yes, the finest actor had left us all behind with large body of work that generations will cherish for life.

Irrfan Khan ‘s voice note for the fans, recorded right before the promotion of Angrezi Medium turned out to be his last voice for all, where he said, “…till then wait for me”.

He was struggling with his health ever since he was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Last week, when he lost his mother, he could not attend the last rituals because of national lockdown, and if reports are to be believed, on Thursday morning, while he was struggling with his life in Kokila Ben hospital, he expressed his thoughts to his wife Sutapa that he saw his mother on the next bed in ICU and she is here to take away all his pain. That’s when Sutapa broke and got the hint of the end of a chapter that happened to be a household name and with time and talent brought in accolade to the family in terms of National Award, Padma Shri and more.

Irrfan was very close to his mother and probably that’s the reason, what is reported sounds true. A couple of years ago, in an interview, he had mentioned that he likes his food simple, the way his mother cooks. Clearly, Maa ke Haath ka Khana was supreme for this great actor who was simplicity personified.

In the interview given to a popular international journalist, he mentioned that he was fond of Mughlai Food but more of what could be cooked at home, like the pasandas which the restaurants did not normally prepare. He believed in eating as a complete experience. He said he loved to smell the vegetables and ate them mindfully. He had an aversion for smelly fish.

Irrfan’s work took him to the world, and he was the only Indian actor who had well and truly crossed over. He had already made early an appearance in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited ( 2007). But the big-and-small parts in international productions quickened after Danny Boyle’s 2008 Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire, and he showed up in Ang Lee’s magical-realistic tale of survival, Life Of Pi, and such mega-budget franchises as The Amazing Spiderman and Jurassic World.

But home was really where his heart was. From Paan Singh Tomar, Haider, Piku, The Lunchbox, Qarib Qarib Single to his last Angrezi Medium, he was loved in every avatar by the audience and critics alike. We hope that love will never, ever end.

News and Condolences by the team of TMM