Versatile Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passed away at the age of 53 on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 11:11 am due to colon infection. The actor was undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine cancer and was admitted at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Tuesday due to a colon infection. The actor was buried at the Versova kabristan in Mumbai at 3 pm on Wednesday in the presence of his family, close relatives and friends.

Irrfan Khan's mortal remains being taken to Versova Kabristan. Image credit: Yogen Shah

Irrfan's family including wife Sutapa Sikdar, son Babil Khan and relatives and his industry friends had rushed to the hospital to pay their final respects to the actor. 

Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khan and relatives. Pictures courtesy: Shadab Khan

On Tuesday, the Piku actor had been admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the Intensive Care Unit. In 2018, Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour and was undergoing treatment for the same.

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns director Tigmanshu Dhulia was spotted at the hospital as well.

Tigmanshu Dhulia at the hospital

Shoojit Sircar, with whom Irrfan had worked in the blockbuster hit Piku, also visited the hospital. Mourning his loss, the director had earlier tweeted, "My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om shanti. Irfaan Khan salute (sic).

Shoojit Sircar at the hospital

An official statement regarding Irrfan's demise read, "'I trust, I have surrendered', these were the words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away..."

The statement further read, "Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heavenly abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it (sic).'"

Irrfan Khan, who made his debut with a small role in Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay in 1988 was known for his performances in Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others. His last film Angrezi Medium released in March this year. 

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Life can be very unpredictable and the most traumatic and tearing example that comes to mind is that of Irrfan Khan, an actor who has departed too soon. Suffering from Neuroendocrine tumour for the last two years, the actor was a fighter. He was admitted to the Kokilaben hospital for colon infection and breathed his last today morning. He was 53!

Irrfan Khan's demise has left a void in the Hindi film industry that's unlikely to be filled in the coming years. There was nobody like him, what we call the inimitable artist. Almost everyone from the fraternity has mourned his loss. But the way Shah Rukh Khan has expressed his thoughts, one could easily tear up.

He shared a picture with the actor and wrote - "My friend...inspiration & the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai...will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives..."

Have a look right here:

My friend...inspiration & the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai...will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives.
"पà¥Âˆमाना à¤Â•हà¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆ à¤Â•à¥Â‹à¤Âˆ, मà¥Âˆà¤Â–ाना à¤Â•हà¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆ दà¥Âनिया तà¥Â‡रà¥Â€ à¤Â†à¤Âà¤Â–à¥Â‹à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ भà¥Â€, à¤Â•à¥Âया à¤Â•à¥Âया ना à¤Â•हà¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆ" Love u pic.twitter.com/yOVoCete4A

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 29, 2020

Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan worked together in Priyadarshan's 2009 comedy Billu, which was the former's home production. It's sad we could not see more of the two on the celluloid but they did meet often and bonded really well. With the great actor's demise, life's unpredictable nature has been confirmed yet again!

Bollywood celebrities, who worked with him or even those who were fans of his craft, paid homage and condolences to his legacy and the overall person that he was. One of the first ones to do that was his Piku co-actor Amitabh Bachchan. His presence will always be felt around us and the entire Hindi film industry!

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Back in 2018, Irrfan Khan was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine tumour and had to leave for his treatment. This piece of news truly shocked all his fans. He was traveling back and forth owning to his professional commitments and also did some films in these two years like Black Mail, Karwaan, and Angrezi Medium.

When the news of him being admitted to the Kokilaben hospital broke, fans became a lot more worried and prayed for his speedy recovery. He was admitted due to colon infection. And today, he breathed his last and passed away, leaving behind only and only memories.

Irrfan Khan's acting prowess was known to all, his fans, friends, family, and the film industry. Everyone has expressed their pain at the loss of such a towering personality, and now Salman Khan has also taken to his social media account to do the same.

Sharing a candid moment from the red carpet of an award ceremony, his words could surely leave you teary-eyed. He wrote, "Big loss to the film industry, his fans, all of us n specially his family. My heart goes out to his family. May God give them strength. Rest in peace brother u shall always be missed n be in all our hearts.." (sic)

Have a look right here:

Big loss to the film industry, his fans, all of us n specially his family. My heart goes out to his family. May God give them strength.
Rest in peace brother u shall always be missed n be in all our hearts.. pic.twitter.com/KFQ1RoC1H8

— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) April 29, 2020

Salman Khan and Irrfan Khan never worked together, but it was impossible for anyone not to be aware of his craft and charming aura. 2020 is surely not turning out to be the year we all expected or wanted.

Nearly the entire Bollywood brigade took to their social media accounts and paid their condolences. One of the first few people to come out was Amitabh Bachchan, who shared screen space with him in the 2015 comedy, Piku. May his soul Rest In Peace!

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It's going to take a while before we can swallow the fact that Irrfan Khan is no more with us. He fought till his last breath and refused to give up. To be able to smile and spread happiness despite your own struggles is the very notion of any artist in the world, and Khan was one such gem that will always continue to shine.

He was admitted to the Kokilaben hospital last night due to colon infection and passed away today morning. Nearly all the Bollywood celebrities paid homage to the actor on their social media accounts by sharing messages and pictures. Shah Rukh Khan called him his friend, inspiration, and the greatest actor of their times.

However, Deepika Padukone, who shared screen space with him in Shoojit Sircar's Piku, shared a black picture that reflected the void that his unfortunate demise has left in Bollywood. She also shared a broken heart in the form of her caption.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

💔 #irrfankhan

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onApr 29, 2020 at 3:51am PDT

Irrfan Khan and Deepika Padukone were supposed to collaborate once again for a film that was to be directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, but due to the actor's illness, it was pushed indefinitely. May Irrfan's soul Rest In Peace!

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While Mira Nair's The Namesake (2006) introduced Irrfan to the art-house West as Ashoke Ganguli, there was a 2012 profile of his in The New York Times (by Kathryn Shattuck) that, he reckoned, alerted many in the Hollywood establishment to the person behind the roles he'd done thus far.

This is a couple of years after the last season of HBO series In Treatment that I recall Irrfan calling up from the US to say he was particularly proud of. And a few months before the release of Andrew Webb's franchise reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, where he played the antagonist, Rajit Ratha.

Titled 'Bollywood Hero, American Everyman', the NYT piece went on to ask, "Could Mr Khan become the first Indian to capture the lead in a mainstream American movie?" It began with Irrfan himself declaiming, "Hollywood isn't ready for an Indian leading man." And Ang Lee later agreeing, while arguing, "But maybe he can do it for us [Asians]. He's definitely rare and very special." Irrfan was dubbing for Lee's Life Of Pi at the time.

The fact is, up until Irrfan had spent over a decade and half in Bombay, after graduating from National School of Drama (NSD), doing grunt-work on television, with shows after shows—some of them hugely popular, like Chandrakanta, Star Bestsellers, Banegi Apni Baat (that he also directed episodes of)—starting from late '80s, all through the '90s, let alone Hollywood, even Indian cinema wasn't ready for him as an Indian leading man!

That real deal happened only with the British filmmaker Asif Kapadia casting Irrfan in and as The Warrior (2001), in a slow, quiet, Himalayan Western, if you may, with his haunting eyes adding to the striking visuals. Thereon, young Kapadia scripted an Oscar-winning career as one of the world's top documentary whizzes (Senna, Amy, Diego Maradona).

Irrfan finally captured desi imagination with his inimitably insouciant, proper desi-cool turn as the rustic college goon in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Haasil (2003). A lot of local filmmakers, he said, could place him as the new villain in town. He refused a few such roles, only to mesmerise audiences even more as the obsessed lover in Vishal Bhardwaj's magical Maqbool (2004)—unreservedly a masterpiece that Bhardwaj found hard to match, leave aside with Irrfan (though Haider and 7 Khoon Maaf with the actor were decent attempts).

Thus, a star was proverbially born. Although he'd been around in Bombay all along. This is no time for rona-dhona on ways the film industry functions, while it was always a pleasure to chat about all of this, on occasion, with Irrfan. He never held back on what he felt or thought, about people and pictures.

Will never forget this one time he told me on a TV interview how embarrassed he felt watching the "aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai" (desi-wedding type) shindig around Slumdog Millionaire (2009) at the Academy Awards stage, with Anil Kapoor over-excitedly jumping about, while he hadn't even heard of Danny Boyle before signing up for the film! Or in another interview where he complained about why Shah Rukh Khan had to play out two schizophrenically different films (one with himself all over it) in Billu (2009), with no one ending up liking either, as a result.

That's how Irrfan was, even in public — charmingly candid, but meaning no malice whatsoever, of course. Despite much that he'd been through. To be fair, just casually scan the timeline for when he moved to Bombay. This was the fallow phase when 'parallel cinema' that had inspired him to become a film actor in the first place, had altogether been phased out. Many of the filmmakers had moved to television.

Irrfan got to do the historical docu-drama Bharat Ek Khoj (1988) with Shyam Benegal. He found a chance to work with Govind Nihalani in Drishti (1990) or Basu Chatterjee in Kamla Ki Maut (1989), in the evening of their careers.

The mainstream space almost wholly consisted of action stars, and thereafter, what he called "chocolate boys". Irrfan was neither. The key issue with him as a young aspirant, he said, was to imagine who he could be like. Until Naseeruddin Shah, from the generation before him, he confessed, metaphorically showed him the way — first from Jaipur where he grew up, to NSD, in Delhi.

An abiding memory of Naseer on screen, Irrfan recalled in a TV interview, was from Umrao Jaan (1981), where he flirts with Rekha's character, who is visibly annoyed and asks what he's up to. He casually mentions, "Waqt hai toh kuch toh karein, saath (Since there's time let's do something together)."

The first time I saw Irrfan on the big screen was in an NFDC production, Fareeda Mehta's Kali Salwaar (2002), where he plays writer Saadat Hasan Manto, staring at the heroine in the balcony, from across the street. What are you up to, he asks her. "Jhak maar rahi hoon (Doing nothing)," she says. "Chalo saath mein jhak maarte hain (Let's do nothing together)," he retorts indifferently. Few have seen that film. Don't remember much of it either — impossible to erase that casually killer moment from memory.

For all the years he was altogether bored of bulk-acting on TV in Bombay, whatIrrfan found the hardest to do was keep the inspiration alive — even while he found none of it in his work. He found most of it in watching films, right from the time he bought a video-player with his first salary in the city.

No actor I know from his generation was as well-versed with world cinema as Irrfan. One of his dreams was to be in the same frame as the French hero Gerard Depardieu. Can't thank him enough for introducing me to the Turkish-German star-director Fatih Akin, much before Akin became a thing. Or filmmaker Michael Winterbottom, who Irrfan, of course, worked with in A Mighty Heart (2007). It is said Wes Anderson specifically pencilled in a part for him in The Darjeeling Limited (2007). In conversations, he was always ready with a recco.

Perhaps exposure of this sort could also frustrate an actor, in contrast to the eco-system that surrounds him. Irrfan spoke quite often about having decided to quit acting altogether in his early years, since television was all he was doing, and the sort of movies he wished for weren't going to materialise anyway. This is the phase, he said, he actively worked on his craft, since he had nothing to lose. And much less to hope for. To keep himself busy, he said, he toyed with ways to gently seduce the camera, besides attempting to "live in the moment".

Irrfan in a still from Inferno 

This became perhaps what critics/reviewers might over-use the word "nuance" to explain many of his performances that highlighted most of all, minimal face-acting — least amount of gestures that also kept space for dramatic revelations, when you least expected them. He was the finest film practitioner of 'less is more' — hitting its highest note perhaps with Dhulia's Paan Singh Tomar (2011) that, despite a fair festival run, remained in the can for the longest, before finding theatrical release to top Bollywood awards that year.

More specifically, he could hold a moment. Also there was something infectious about his performances, if you notice, say Deepika Padukone match her smiles and telling eye-contacts with his, in Shoojit Sircar's Piku (2015). Same between Konkona Sensharma and him in Anurag Basu's Life In A Metro (2007). Or, most recently, actor Deepak Dobriyal playing off Irrfan's thoroughly restrained yet feisty/OTT comic timing in Angrezi Medium (2020), his last release.
That's what earned him most respect from peers and public alike.

I was at a breakfast interview with Naseer in Lucknow (he was shooting for Dedh Ishqiya) when Irrfan joined in (he was there filming Bullet Raja). Throughout, Naseer, who's generally frugal with praise and an idol of sorts to Irrfan, called him "Khan Saab" — referring perhaps also to his aristocratic lineage, although he's had a fairly modest upbringing.

There was still something naturally royal about Irrfan's presence, both off but, more so, on the screen. This was a handicap, at least according to one filmmaker critic of his I know. He was incapable of coming across as "low-status", even in roles that demanded so. This is where Nawazuddin Siddiqui held an advantage, apparently. There was minor tattle going on about a rivalry of sorts between fellow NSD alumnus Nawaz, 45, and Irrfan, 53. Much of it had to do with the phenomenal success of Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox (2013), arguably the greatest Indian success abroad, that both starred in.

The fact is, Nawaz could never do what Irrfan could, and vice versa. As is true for all unique talents. That royal demeanour no doubt would've helped Irrfan bag the role of Mesrani (probably named after Ambani), the Indian-origin richest man, who's the main villain in the gigantic Jurassic Park franchise film, Jurassic World (2015).

His last major outing in Hollywood was with Tom Hanks in Inferno (2016). This is before he headlined the ambitious Japanese mini-series Tokyo Trial (2017; currently available on Netflix). Just look at that line-up abroad, even while he'd confound producers back home picking up a hardcore art-house film like Qissa (2013), although scoring huge in the box-office with the comedy, Hindi Medium (2017).

Irrfan had been ailing since 2018, diagnosed with a rare, neuro-endocrine cancer. He was never seen in public thereafter. He made sure of that—nothing to mess with our memories of him. The common adage '50 is the new 40' (in line with people in other decades) couldn't have been more aptly applied than with Irrfan. He was at the cusp of something bigger, having kick-started his career with definitive, defining roles, only in his mid 30s!

At 20, he told me, he had trained all the actors of Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay (1988), but failed to star as one of the boys in it, because he was too tall to fit into the frame with them. He lived and learnt a lot about life from those street kids.

The Irrfan I knew came across as a deeply sensitive man. The ongoing wave of Islamophobia bothered him no end. He had dropped Khan from his name. Unsure if being racially profiled twice at American airports had anything to do with it. He also had a strong dislike for traditional stardom-led ways of Bollywood— mildly upset by stuff like, how much he was paid by a friend for a role, and how much was offered to his co-star, for the same picture.

But he also had a playful, roving-eye, happy-high side, behind that gambheer/serious exterior. He was surrounded by friends and well-wishers, I noticed, when graciously invited by his wife Sutapa (they met at NSD), to participate in his episode of the biographical show, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai (2012). After all these years, the show's anchor, Bollywood star Raveena Tandon asked where I saw Irrfan in the pantheon of the (more popular) superstar Khans. In a league of his own, obviously.

Some of the fun part of Irrfan's personality you find organically channelled into madcap entertainers like Dil Kabaddi (2008) or Karwaan (2018). Or you could just watch him happily descend into YouTube level sketch-comedy with an AIB video gone viral! Better still, you could catch the totally terrible Thank You (2011), that he certainly did for the bread, butter, or more likely, cheese. Outside the preview screening of one of these flicks, he came up to say I must've got "jaded" watching so many movies. Yeah, right!

If it wasn't for Rajesh Khanna, could Irrfan have carried on as an AC repair mechanic? That's what he had visited the superstar's Carter Road bungalow as, much before he had thought of becoming an actor, or formally moved to Bombay. Irrfan had trained to fix appliances. His father was in the business of selling tyres. That visit as an AC-repair guy to Khanna's residence, he recalled in an interview, somehow ignited in Irrfan the belief that he simply couldn't work for the money. He needed something more to keep him engaged.

Before he left for NSD, Irrfan's father had passed away. His mother Saeeda Begum was worried that he was going to become a "naach-ganewallah". Whatever that means, he promised her, "Aapko sharminda nahin hone doonga (I won't let you down)." He didn't. Saeeda Begum, 95, passed away three days before him.

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The Lunchbox

Ritesh Batra's luminous film had Irrfan playing Saajan Fernandez, a man who falls in love in the autumn of his life over handwritten letters. The unusual love story won worldwide acclaim and was India's entry to the Oscar that year.

The Warrior

Irrfan played the titular role in the feature directed by Asif Kapadia, whose samurai-esque film was shot in Rajasthan and the Himalayas. The 2001 drama was selected for the San Sebastián Film Festival and won the BAFTA Award for Best British film.

Maqbool

Irrfan's search for a film that could do justice to his talent ended with Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool. As Bhardwaj began his adaptation of William Shakespeare's works, he could imagine no one except Irrfan as the desi Macbeth. He tackled complex emotions of guilt, and loyalty effortlessly.

The Namesake

If Bollywood woke up to his talent with Maqbool, the international audience sat up and took notice of Irrfan in Mira Nair's adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel of the same name. He reunited with Nair after two decades since Salaam Bombay .

Paan Singh Tomar

Tigmanshu Dhulia's dacoit drama was the start of Irrfan's golden run. He depicted the true-life story of an athlete turned criminal, which earned him a National Award.

Slumdog Millionaire

Irrfan played a cop in the Danny Boyle drama that won eight Academy Awards. It cemented his place in Hollywood as a crossover artiste. The fact that Wes Anderson wrote a part in The Darjeeling Limited to work with him was a validation of his talent.

Hindi Medium

The prequel to Irrfan's swansong, Angrezi Medium, won critical acclaim for discussing the flaws of the Indian education system with a touch of humour.

Inferno

It was a proud moment for India when the actor was chosen to share screen space with Tom Hanks in the 2016 screen adaptation of Dan Brown's novel.

Piku

In a casting master stroke, Shoojit Sircar brought together Hindi cinema's finest — Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan — for a heartwarming tale. His character Rana's banter with Big B's character Bhashkor was the highlight of the comedy.

A Mighty Heart

He played the chief of police in A Mighty Heart, alongside Angelina Jolie. Based on Daniel Pearl's wife Marianne Pearl's book by the same name, the film retraces the wife's search for Daniel, the journalist killed in Pakistan.

Talvar

Meghana Gulzar's retelling of the Arushi Talvar murder case had Irrfan play a cop who points out the discrepancies of the investigation. It was one of his best works, and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

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Irrfan's passing is a huge loss for the entire film fraternity, but I have lost a dear friend today. We were destined to be friends. I was 19 when I first met him at the National School of Drama, where I was a few years junior to him. Since then, Irrfan has played different roles in my life — sometimes he was a pal, other times, an elder brother. There were times when he would push me to work harder, like a mentor.

Not many know that he was a part of my first directorial venture in Mumbai — a show called Hum Bambai Nahin Jayenge for Business India TV (BITV). Shekhar Kapur was the creative head of the channel, and asked me to direct the show. I reached out to Irrfan, who had come to Mumbai four years before me, and that was the beginning [of our professional collaboration]. We worked on several serials for Star Bestsellers, and finally collaborated on Haasil (2003).

Tigmanshu Dhulia

He was a gentle human being who was so evolved in his ideas. He was an outdoor guy who expressed concern for the environment. In fact, he used to love flying kites. Whenever we needed time to prepare for a shot, we used to hand him a kite. He would happily indulge in it till we were ready. He was a charming, happy-go-lucky guy.

Over the last few months, we could not speak regularly because he had stopped using his cell phone. So, I would keep in touch with his wife Sutapa. I visited him at the hospital on Tuesday. He was unconscious but breathing; it was heart-wrenching to see him like that. Right now, I am numb; it will take time to process his loss. I will miss a friend with whom I could have any discussion without the fear of being judged. I will miss hearing his insightful views and taking his advice on matters.

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Though Irrfan and I did not share screen space, we featured together in two films, Akash Deep's Ghaath (2000), and Suparn Verma's Acid Factory (2009).

In the second, we were together in only one fleeting scene. We knew each other because our roots [lay in] theatre. I knew him from the time we began our careers, and we followed each other's journey in films. I looked at him with tremendous regard. We went through the same [experiences] at the same time: We struggled together, and as outsiders, fought for the same thing: to earn our place in different types of films.

We faced both rejection and acceptance from the audience, and the industry.

It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that Irrfan is no more. His contribution to the industry and the world of acting will live on. He still had a lot more [to offer], so his passing away is difficult for a colleague and contemporary [to come to terms with].

As told to Shaheen Parkar

Priyadarshan: He wanted to do a comedy when he came back

Irrfan was a dear friend. We worked together in Billoo, and often spent the evenings together. He would talk about his struggles and [being apprehensive about] carving his place as an actor, in movies, because of his looks. He'd say he was advised to stick to theatre because he didn't have the qualities of a hero, but [would remind himself] that 'somebody needs [to see] somebody like me [as a hero]'.

He had told people that if he came back [following his treatment in London], they should keep scripts [ready] for him. But when he returned, he told me he [was easily] tired, and couldn't work for more than five hours. I spoke to him four months ago, and he said that though the treatment had made him weak, he [had been] cured. He wanted to do a comedy and told me to call him with a script.

As told to Upala KBR

Mithila Palkar: He taught me to focus on nuances

My fondest memory of Irrfan sir was him referring to me as Binaca Geetmala, because I'd always sing on the sets of Karwaan. If he liked something that I was humming, he would request [me to sing] it.

I haven't been to acting school. But merely [being in his] presence was like attending one. My lesson from observing him was to focus on the small details in a scene, and understanding nuances. We lost a gem and I don't think this void can be filled.

As told to Sonia Lulla

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Actor Deepak Dobriyal, who worked with Irrfan Khan in "Angrezi Medium" earlier this year, recalls the late actor was like an elder brother. "From making me understand the craft of acting to teaching me how to give genuine expressions on screen, he taught me and helped me a lot, like a big brother. His death is a personal loss," Deepak told IANS.

Irrfan died on Wednesday at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital where he was admitted the day before with colon infection. He even had battled neuroendocrine tumour for several months. Remembering his late co-star, Deepak recalled how Irrfan happily continued shooting "Angrezi Medium" while undergoing treatment for cancer.

"Despite being in pain, he duly fulfilled his professional commitments. He was not in pink of his health, so I always tried my best to make him smile during our shooting. I used to joke with him and he never felt bad. He always treated me like his chhota bhai. It's hard to digest the news of his demise. We had even planned to work on 'Urdu Medium' or 'Chinese Medium'. Now it's dream which will never become true," Deepak grieved

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Actress Nimrat Kaur worked with Irrfan Khan in the much-feted film "The Lunchbox" that went on winning several award and accolades internationally. The news of his sudden demise came as shock to her.

"It is a personal loss for everyone at this point in time. For everyone who watched his movies or worked with him and met him personally, this is absolutely shocking. I think the face of Indian cinema will not be the same without Irrfan Khan. He was a one-man army. Every film and film stars are on one side and his films are on the other. My heart goes out to his family at this point in time, when we all are suffering under a specific situation. Losing a loved one is always painful but I think this (the COVID-19 lockdown) is worse. I cannot imagine I am talking about Irrfan in the past tense," Nimrat told IANS.

Nimrat worked with Irrfan in "The Lunchbox", the directorial debut of Ritesh Batra, which released in 2013. The film screened in several prestigious international festivals, and notably won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

Sharing her memory of working with Irrfan in the film Nimrat said: "We did not have many scenes together but we got a chance to converse extensively during the premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival. I was quite overwhelmed by the response to the film, the way it was celebrated and what it became overnight! I remember I asked him, ‘how do you handle so much appreciation, adulation when a film meets a great success like this?' he smiled and told me, ‘sock up to good times and don't be shy of celebration. This is the gift that God has given us. The bad time is around the corner.'

"This moment does not come very often in life. So take it as a gift after all the struggle we have gone through.' He always said to embrace the good time because that's when we celebrate life," recalled Nimrat.

Irrfan had been admitted in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection on Tuesday and passed away on Wednesday. The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour a while back and has been under medical attention for the same. He even went abroad for treatment.

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As Bollywood's trailblazer Irrfan Khan breathed his last on Wednesday, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui remembered the times he worked in a film directed by the late actor.

The 'Sacred Games' actor took to Twitter to condole the demise of the departed actor who once mentored him in the film 'Alvida.'

"In d year 2000 a film directed by #IrrfanKhan named ALVIDA starred me & I ws lucky 2 hv my mentor as my co-star in many films," tweeted Siddiqui.

In d year 2000 a film directed by #IrrfanKhan named ALVIDA starred me & I ws lucky 2 hv my mentor as my co-star in many films.
No 1 wil evr b able 2 fill his space in d entire world of cinema.
Never thot in d worst of my dreams, dat wil hv 2 say “ALVIDA” so soon RIP #IrrfanKhan

— Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) April 29, 2020

The 'Gangs of Wasseypur' actor further indicated towards the void that Irrfan Khan left behind in the Bollywood industry.

"No 1 wil evr b able 2 fill his space in d entire world of cinema. Never thot in d worst of my dreams, dat wil hv 2 say "ALVIDA" so soon RIP #IrrfanKhan," his tweet further read.

Siddiqui and Khan worked in several Bollywood films together including 'The Lunchbox' which is one of the most critically acclaimed films of Irrfan's career.

The last rites of the Padma Shri award winner were performed at the Versova cemetery earlier today.

The internationally renowned actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Irrfan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

With critically acclaimed films like 'Life of Pi,' 'Hindi Medium,' 'Maqbool' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit, Irrfan was regarded as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema.

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Actor Manoj Bajpayee struggles to put his thoughts into words, and says everything has just gone "haywire" ever since he heard the news of Irrfan Khan's demise. The actor says though Irrfan wasn't his "best friend", they were connected with a very unique thread of rejection and acceptance in showbiz.

"For me to put my feelings in words and really frame it in a way that it all looks organised is tough. After hearing the news of his demise, everything went haywire mentally," Manoj told IANS. "I don't know how to react to it. The only emotion which is happening inside of me is extreme sadness. I am so sad that it is difficult for me to even think of anything. And I feel exhausted with the heaviness that I am feeling," he added.

Manoj has immense respect for Irrfan as "a contemporary, a colleague, co-actor and as somebody who started at the same time". "We faced similar kinds of rejections, struggles and acceptance. I feel that I lost a co-traveler. Though he was not my best friend, somewhere I felt that he was somebody whose journey was known to me and who knew my journey," said the actor, who will soon be seen in Netflix's "Mrs. Serial Killer".

Manoj continued: "It is like we were traveling in the same compartment, looking at each other from a distance but not fully knowing personally. It was enough to look at each other from a distance and admire each other. His contribution to cinema and the world of acting is going to be lauded and appreciated for very long."

Irrfan breathed his last early on Wednesday at the age of 54. Irrfan was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection earlier this week. However, unfortunately he succumbed to his ailment. The actor is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons Babil and Ayan.

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Former Miss World and actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Wednesday expressed grief over the demise of her co-star Irrfan Khan. Bachchan had shared the screen space with the late Padma Shri award winner in the action thriller 'Jazbaa.'

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

✨May your Soul Rest in Peace my dear friend Irrfan... like we said.. We Keep it Real... Always...✨God Bless✨

A post shared by AishwaryaRaiBachchan (@aishwaryaraibachchan_arb) onApr 29, 2020 at 10:16am PDT

The 46-year-old actor took to Instagram and condoled Irrfan's demise through Instagram story.

"Heartbreaking news...so saddened to hear about the demise of my dear friend Irrfan...the brightest, most genuine, humble,kind, and eventually bravest soul.. May he Rest in Peace," she wrote in the story.

She also expressed solidarity with Irrfan's wife Sutapa and his sons Babil and Ayan.

"God Bless Much love and strength to Sutapa, Babil, Ayan and his loved ones at this very difficult time," she further wrote.

Aishwarya and Irrfan's chemistry in 'Jazbaa' was appreciated by audiences as well as critics at the time of the release of the film.

Irrfan Khan's last rites were performed at the Versova cemetery. The internationally renowned actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Irrfan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

With critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit, Irrfan was regarded as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema.

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Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif on Wednesday condoled the demise of her 'New York' co-star and critically acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan. Kaif took to Instagram to post a picture of the departed actor and recalled the time she spent with him during the shoot of the film.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

RIP 🙏... an irreplaceable loss ... a true genius ..... will be greatly missed .... can never forget our laughs during New York

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) onApr 29, 2020 at 5:38am PDT

"RIP... an irreplaceable loss ... a true genius ..... will be greatly missed .... can never forget our laughs during New York," she wrote in the caption.

The two actors worked together in 2009's thriller flick 'New York.' The blockbuster hit was based on the terrorist attack on World Trade Center which took place in September 2011.

The film also featured actors John Abraham and Niel Nitin Mukesh.

Irrfan Khan's last rites were performed at the Versova cemetery earlier today.

The internationally renowned actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Irrfan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

With critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit, Irrfan was regarded as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema.

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Khosla Ka Ghosla and Bheja Fry famed actor Vinay Pathak bid an emotional goodbye to actor Irrfan Khan, who passed away this morning due to cancer and colon infection-related complications.

"I am very numb right now. I don't know what to say, I am devastated. It's really heartbreaking. I can only imagine what his wife and kids must be going through. I can't talk much, I am sorry," said Vinay, when we contacted him for his reaction.

On the subject that Irrfan's demise is a big loss for the industry, he said: "All these are conversations. This is someone's personal tragedy because this news has shaken his family, his friends, and people like us who were very close to him. This we will debate after one month, on what the industry has lost. In my eyes, he was one of the most gifted and talented actors today," said Vinay.

Irrfan passed away in the wee-hours of Wednesday in Kokilaben Dhuribhai Ambani Hospital.

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Pakistani actor Saba Qamar, who starred opposite Irrfan Khan in 2017's "Hindi Medium", said she is at loss of words with the untimely demise of her co-star. The 53-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday.

He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon. Saba said she does hope things were better between India and Pakistan as she wants to meet Irrfan's wife Sutapa and their two sons Babil and Ayaan. "I'm numb today. I still cannot accept the loss of a brilliant co-actor Irrfan. I really am at a loss for words. It's very heart wrenching for me to say rest in peace Irrfan. "I really hope things were better between our countries and I could go see his family but my heartfelt condolences to his family," Saba told PTI.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Deeply disturbed to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. I still can’t absorb the news. It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of Hindi Medium. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. It is indeed a huge loss to the cinema world. Such a brilliant actor gone too soon. You left a huge irreplaceable void in Cinema Irfan. My heartfelt condolences to his family. May Allah give them strength to bear this loss. RIP Raj 💔 Yours Only, Meeta. 🌸

A post shared by 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐚 𝐐𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 (@sabaqamarzaman) onApr 29, 2020 at 2:07am PDT

She said Irrfan's death is a huge loss to world cinema. "We lost a gem today. It's a huge loss to the cinema world and I hope we become able to bear that," she said. "Hindi Medium"', directed by Saket Chaudhary, marked Saba's debut in Bollywood. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of a nouveau riche in the 2017 comedy drama. The actor had also paid tribute to Irrfan on Twitter. "Deeply disturbed to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of 'Hindi Medium'. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. Such a brilliant actor gone too soon. I'm at a loss for words. RIP Raj Yours Only, Meeta #IrrfanKhan" she had posted.

Meanwhile, many other actors from Pakistan have also condoled Irrfan's sudden demise. Pakistani actor Imran? Abbas, who was seen in a cameo appearance in Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil:, said art has no boundaries and he can feel the pain of his sudden demise. "Rest in peace the legend Irfan Khan!! You will surely be missed forever¿Since art has no boundaries, we can feel the pain and are equally grieved by your sudden demise...May Allah bless the departed soul. Undoubtedly, we all belong to Allah all mighty and have to return to HIM," he tweeted. Pakistani singer and actor Ali Zafar, who has acted in quite a few Bollywood films such as "Tere Bin Laden", "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" and "Dear Zindagi", posted, "RIP #IrrfanKhan. You were inspirational and unparalleled." Pakistani actor Sajal Ali wrote, "Shocked and sad. What a brilliant actor he was! Rest In Peace #IrrfanKhan."

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Filmmaker Anurag Basu, who directed Irrfan Khan in his 2007 movie Life In A... Metro, said he was hopeful the actor will come out of the cancer battle. Irrfan died on Wednesday, losing a two-year battle with neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer that targets various organs of the body.

He was 53. Basu, who has himself battled cancer, said he hoped that Irrfan would also win his fight with the disease as he did. In 2004, the director was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. "I was hoping he would pull it off. I was hopeful because I had pulled through it. He was responding well to the treatment so we thought... This is very unfortunate. I couldn't meet him. I am feeling very very bad for it as I will never get to see him.

#Throwback to our Television days
It was always a challenge to capture your brilliance.
You left us too soon.
But then you were always gypsy at heart and never liked to stay in one place too long.
You lived a hundred in your 53 years . pic.twitter.com/rGipwSOZAD

— anurag basu (@basuanurag) April 29, 2020

"But I did meet Sutapa (Irrfan's wife) while the treatment was going on. It was a long, long fight. He fought this battle alone away from everyone," the filmmaker told PTI. Basu said when Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, his wife Sutapa was shaken and had made several queries to ascertain how he got cured.

"After he was diagnosed, Sutapa had called me as she wanted to know the details because I had gone through the same. I didn't meet him in person after that. But I was in touch with him over phone when he was in London. When he came here sadly I couldn't meet him in person,' he said. The filmmaker, who has worked with Irrfan on 2007 movie 'Life in a... Metro', believes there will never be an actor like him.

"I have done some of my best work in television with Irrfan. People just know that we have worked in `Life In a Metro' but we have worked together a lot on television. Irrfan is a unique actor. "He has created a space for himself on his own here and in Hollywood. Nobody can take that space from him. There is no the other actor like Irrfan Khan and there will be no one like him. He was unique."

Basu also revealed that he had discussed the story idea about 'Life in a 'Metro' sequel with Irrfan, which the actor had liked. "I was supposed to start a film with him. We were talking about 'Metro' sequel. We were waiting for Irrfan and didn't start that film. We had discussed the idea back then and he loved the character and he wanted to do that again. This was one month before he was diagnosed.'

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Irrfan Khan, who was undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine tumour for the last two months, passed away at the age of 53 on April 29, 2020. The talented actor was admitted to Kokilaben Hospital for a colon infection, and on Wednesday he breathed his last.

Irrfan in an interview on the chat show Son of Abish opened up about his 1993-release Karamati Coat. "I was very happy because one just wants to work in cinema. Everyone kept appreciating me in television but I wanted to become a cinema actor. No one was offering me roles, even though everyone was appreciating me. But I got this part. So I was very happy and I thought that this is my big break," the actor was quoted by Hindustan Times.

The Piku actor had even designed his own outfit for the film. "For this, I got so excited that I made my own costume, chose the colours and everything. And the film had a walking shot; out of the three minutes, one and a half minutes was just the walking shot," he said.

Irrfan then went on to give stellar performances in films such as Haasil, Maqbool, Paan Singh Tomar, The Lunchbox, Piku and Hindi Medium. His international projects include Slumdog Millionaire, The Namesake, The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World and Life of Pi. His last release Angrezi Medium too gathered critical acclaim.

It's not just Bollywood, but Irrfan Khan also took over the West with his talent and impeccable acting. In his almost three-decade career, the actor established himself as one of the most dependable performers in the Indian film industry as well as in Hollywood.

You'll be truly missed, Irrfan!

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Hindi and world cinema lost a shining star when Irrfan Khan passed away yesterday, April 29, 2020. The actor, who was battling Neuroendocrine cancer for two years, left his fans and the industry in shock and sorrow after he passed away.

Irrfan Khan was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai, for a colon infection, where he breathed his last. Irrfan was laid to rest at 3 pm yesterday.

In a recent interview with ETimes, actress Mrinal Kulkarni opened up about Irrfan Khan, who was her TV show Shrikant co-star. Kulkarni shared, "The thing is, I am working with cancer organisations for the last few years and then I got to know about Irrfan. We were connected to each other when he was a cancer survivor but his cancer was of a rare type and even after being a strong-willed person he couldn't win the battle. Sometimes, there is nothing in our hands and that is true."

Mrinal Kulkarni, who worked with Irrfan Khan in another TV show, Sparsh, added, "Actually, I knew he was not well and it was a tough fight. After losing his mother, he became more weak and emotional. I somewhere felt that there were tough times ahead for him." Irrfan Khan's mother, Saeda Begum, passed away on April 25, 2020, at age 95.

Talking about Irrfan Khan as an actor and individual, Kulkarni shared, "He used to speak very less. I didn't know that we would ever become friends. After that, we worked together a lot and we became best friends."

Irrfan Khan's last film, Angrezi Medium, released in March this year. He was known for his performances in films like Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, and Hindi Medium, among others.

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April 29 is going to be one of the saddest days for all the Irrfan Khan fans and even Hindi Cinema. His untimely and unfortunate demise has shaken and shocked one and all, especially the people from the fraternity who worked with him and knew him as a human and not just an actor.

Fans mourned the actor's demise by sharing videos of his iconic dialogue. One such viral video that caught our attention was from Life of Pi. In the scene, which occurs at the end of the oscar-winning movie, Irrfan, who played the role of Piscine 'Pi' Patel, says, "I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

Scene from "LIFE OF PI"

"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye"

We love and will miss you #IrrfanKhan. #ripirfankhan 🙏💔 pic.twitter.com/BFz0kRGhis

— Devil V!SHAL (@VishalRC007) April 29, 2020

One fan shared the same video with the caption, "The legend #IrrfanKhan was suffering and now he is resting peacefully. You’ll be missed (sic)."

The legend #IrrfanKhan was suffering and now he is resting peacefully
You’ll be missed ❤ï¸Â pic.twitter.com/Q1IcJwIAzG

— AKU WANITA (@ricamenado) April 29, 2020

Another one shared the video with the caption, "Irrfan Khan Great actor. No more. Sad. I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye (sic)".

Irrfan Khan Great actor. No more. Sad.

"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye".

Yann Martel, Life of Pi #RIP #IrrfanKhan #Bollywood#quotes #life #Pi pic.twitter.com/8htsdXivU5

— Sunil Yash Kalra (@sunilykalra) April 29, 2020

Irrfan played the role of adult Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel in the 2012 adventure drama. Also starring Suraj Sharma, Tabu and Adil Hussain, Life of Pi won universal critical acclaim and won four academy awards.

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April has turned out to be the most devastating month of the year. On April 29, the world lost an actor par excellence, Irrfan Khan. And today, the world has lost another gem of an actor who could do any role with ease, Rishi Kapoor. He passed away at 8:45 IST in hospital after a two-year battle with leukemia.

Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, who directed both of them in D-Day, took to his Twitter account to recount the experience he had working with this legendary star. Sharing an anecdote on Twitter, Advani wrote- "No one treated me with the respect an actor gives a director more than you did, that too being who you were. You were my friend sir. I'm sitting, remembering and just chuckling, laughing. Waiting for your booming voice to say "boy... make me one more drink!" (sic)

Have a look right here:

No one treated me with the respect an actor gives a director more than you did, that too being who you were. You were my friend sir. I’m sitting, remembering and just chuckling, laughing. Waiting for your booming voice to say “boy... make me one more drink!” #RishiKapoor #RIP

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

And then came a picture that could surely leave you teary-eyed. It was a scene from the film that had both Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan in the same frame. Sharing this priceless moment that the world will never see again, he wrote- "At least one thing is for sure. There will be jashan in the heavens tonight." Have a look right here:

At least one thing is for sure. There will be jashan in the heavens tonight. #RIPLegend #RishiKapoor #IrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/V4qXyWjeqp

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

The entire Bollywood industry is currently in shock as it has lost two legends who went too soon. We shall never forget their contribution to Hindi Cinema!

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Late actor Irrfan Khan's wife Sutapa Sikdar took to social media to pen a healtfelt message for the actor, who passed away on Wednesday. She updated her Facebook display picture with an adorable picture of herself hugging Irrfan and captioned: "I have not lost I have gained in every which way...."

Reacting to the post, several users paid condolences to her and her sons, Babil and Ayan. "You are strong. Love," a user commented. Another user wrote: "Super salute to you."

Sutapa and Irrfan met each other during their college days at National School of Drama, Delhi where they fell in love with each other and later tied the knot in 1995.

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It's still hard to swallow the fact that two of Hindi Cinema's giants, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, are no longer amongst us. Their selfless and tireless contribution to Hindi Cinema can never be forgotten. Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29 at 11:11 am at the Kokilaben hospital due to complications arising out of Colon infection, and left behind some incredible performances and characters. For a moment, the entire fraternity was left numb. Almost all the major Bollywood celebrities paid condolences to his legacy.

And on April 30, we lost another genius, Rishi Kapoor. He was honest and always humorous, full of life, and zeal. Entertaining the audiences for over five decades, Cinema was his life and his passion. It was another major setback for the Hindi film industry and the entire Bollywood was shocked again. Battling leukaemia for the last two years, he passed away at 8:45 am IST in hospital. Tributes began pouring soon on social media.

But these tributes weren't limited to Bollywood, but even Southern legends paid homage. One of them is Mahesh Babu, who even worked with Irrfan Khan in the 2006 action-drama, Sainikudu. Talking of Irrfan first, this is what Mahesh Babu wrote- "Deeply saddened by the news of #IrrfanKhan's untimely demise. A brilliant actor gone too soon. He will be truly missed... My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP." (sic)

Have a look right here:

Deeply saddened by the news of #IrrfanKhan's untimely demise. A brilliant actor gone too soon. He will be truly missed... My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP 🙏🏻

— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) April 29, 2020

And this is what he had to say about Rishi Kapoor's demise- "Heartbreaking to hear about #RishiKapoor sir. Yet another irreplaceable loss in our world of cinema... A complete entertainer and an incredibly talented actor... A true legend. My deepest condolences and strength to Ranbir and his family. May his soul rest in peace." (sic)

Have a look:

Heartbreaking to hear about #RishiKapoor sir. Yet another irreplaceable loss in our world of cinema... A complete entertainer and an incredibly talented actor... A true legend. My deepest condolences and strength to Ranbir and his family. May his soul rest in peace. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) April 30, 2020

With the demise of two powerhouses of performers, Bollywood will never be the same!

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Versatile Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passed away at the age of 53 on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 11:11 am due to colon infection. The actor was undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine cancer and was admitted at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Tuesday due to a colon infection. The actor was buried at the Versova kabristan in Mumbai at 3 pm on Wednesday in the presence of his family, close relatives and friends. Irrfan is survived by his wife Sutapa and sons – Babil and Ayan.

Soon after news of Irrfan's death broke on the internet, social media was flooded with messages from fans and celebrities expressing their grief. Son Babil Khan also mourned the loss of his father by sharing a hearfelt note on his Instagram handle. 

In the note, Babil thanked all for their support and condolence messages as his family is faced with the most difficult challenge. He wrote: "I’m deeply grateful for all the condolences you beautiful friends are pouring in for me. Although I hope you understand that right now I’m not being able to reply because my vocabolary is dizzy. I will get back to each one of you but just not right now. Thank you so much. I love you (sic)."

Take a look at Babil's hearfelt note:

On Tuesday, the Piku actor had been admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the Intensive Care Unit. In 2018, Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour and was undergoing treatment for the same.

An official statement regarding Irrfan's demise read, "'I trust, I have surrendered', these were the words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away..."

The statement further read, "Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heavenly abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it (sic).'"

Irrfan Khan, who made his debut with a small role in Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay in 1988 was known for his performances in Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others. His last film Angrezi Medium released in March this year. 

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Actress Rati Agnihotri, who worked with Rishi Kapoor in films like "Tawaif" and "Yeh Hai Jalwa", says the late actor will be greatly missed.

"(It's) A huge loss. (He used to be) So alive. I will miss him a lot. He was a wonderful person. Rest in peace Rishi, " Rati, who currently lives in Poland, told IANS.

Rishi, who died on Thursday in Mumbai after a two-year battle with leukaemia, had featured in several iconic films in his career of over four decades. And in his Bollywood journey, he had been a part of several women-oriented films. "Tawaif", in which Rati has the starring role, is one such film.

In the movie, Dawood (Rishi) accepts Sultana (Rati), a courtesan, as his wife in spite of being in love with an author, Kaynat (Poonam Dhillion).

Rishi had even once shared his happiness to be part of such films.

"Since the olden time whenever there were films made on the idea of women empowerment, I was part of those films, like 'Prem Rog', 'Damini', 'Tawaif', 'Chandni', and many more. I have done many films that reflect the future way of thinking. I have always played my part. I have always helped and encouraged women empowerment," he once said.

"No one can say that I haven't done anything; you can blame other actors who have always done macho films and actions films. I am the one who has supported and made such films I can't think of anyone else who has," Rishi had said.

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The brilliant Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29, 2020, after battling neuroendocrine cancer for over two years. The actor has left behind a huge void in the lives of his family, friends and fans. Irrfan Khan is survived by his wife, Sutapa Sikdar, and his sons Babil and Ayaan.

In an official family statement, Irrfan's wife Sutapa and sons have asked us to think of this as a gain, not a loss. The family writes, "How can I write this as a family statement when the whole world is taking it as a personal loss? How can I begin to feel alone when millions are grieving with us at the moment? I want to assure everyone that this is not a loss, it is a gain. It's a gain of the things he taught us, and now we shall finally begin to truly implement it and evolve. Yet, I want to try to fill in the things that people don't already know."

The statement further read, "It's unbelievable for us but I would put it in Irrfan's words, 'it's magical' whether he is there or not, and that's what he loved; he never loved one-dimensional reality. The only thing I have a grudge against him is - he has spoiled me for life. His strive for perfection doesn't let me settle for ordinary in anything. There was a rhythm which he always saw in everything, even in cacophony and chaos, so I have learnt to sing and dance to the music of that rhythm, even with my tone-deaf voice and two left feet."

"Funnily, our life was a masterclass in acting, so when the dramatic entry of the "uninvited guests" happened, I had by then learnt to see harmony in the cacophony. The doctor's reports were like scripts which I wanted to perfect, so I never miss any detail that he sought for in his performance. We met some amazing people in this journey and the list is endless, but there are some whom I have to mention, our oncologist Dr. Nitesh Rohtogi (Max hospital Saket) who held our hand in the beginning, Dr. Dan Krell (UK), Dr. Shidravi (UK), my heartbeat and my lantern in the dark Dr. Sevanti Limaye (Kokilaben hospital). It's difficult to explain how wondrous, beautiful, overwhelming, painful and exciting this journey has been."

I find these two and a half years to have been an interlude that had its own beginning, middle and culmination with Irrfan helming the role of the orchestra conductor, separate from the 35 years of our companionship. Ours was not a marriage, it was a union. I see my little family, in a boat, with both my sons Babil and Ayaan paddling it forward, with Irrfan guiding them, "wahan nahi, yahan se modo". But since life is not cinema and there are no retakes, I sincerely wish my children sail this boat safely with their father's guidance in mind and rockabye through the storm. I asked my children, if possible, if they could sum up a lesson taught by their father that has been important to them...

Babil: Learn to surrender to the dance of uncertainty and trust your faith in the universe.
Ayaan: Learn to control your mind and to not let it control you."

"Tears will flow as we plant a raat ki rani tree, his favourite, in the place where you have put him to rest after a victorious journey. It takes time but it will bloom and the fragrance will spread and touch all the souls whom I won't call fans but family for years to come."

The Angrezi Medium actor was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection, where he passed away. Irrfan's most memorable works include Salaam Bombay!, Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others.

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After Race 3 (2018), Jacqueline Fernandez had been missing from the scene, barring sporadic appearances in music videos with Badshah and Bigg Boss contestant Asim Riaz. So where has she been all this while? "For now, I am at a farm far away," she laughs, alluding to spending the lockdown at Salman Khan's Panvel farmhouse. "On a serious note, I went through a period where I needed to reinvent myself."

A still from Mrs Serial Killer

The actor considers Mrs Serial Killer, the crime thriller that dropped on Netflix yesterday, her first step in "rebooting myself." "I have always done mainstream films, and was tired of playing chirpy and superficial characters. I was keen to attempt something dark and complex. So when Shirish [Kunder, director] said that Manoj [Bajpayee] would be my co-star in Mrs Serial Killer, I jumped at the idea." Fernandez admits she was a bundle of nerves on the first day of shoot. "I was excited as well as petrified about working with Manoj. Going by his films, I felt he would be a strict actor. But we had a great time on the set. I had to unlearn several things while working with him."

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It's still hard to swallow the fact that two of Hindi Cinema's giants, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, are no longer amongst us. Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29 at 11:11 am at the Kokilaben hospital due to complications arising out of Colon infection. And on April 30, we lost Rishi Kapoor. Battling leukaemia for the last two years, he passed away at 8:45 am IST in hospital. Tributes began pouring soon on social media.

Director Nikkhil Advani who brought both the acting giants on-screen in D-day recalled fond memories of the duo. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, the D-day director said, "We were shooting in the desert and while Irrfan and a lot of teams bunked out in tents, Chintuji would drive two hours back to the hotel. He was averse to early morning shoots but there was this sunrise shot we had to shoot with him and he was refusing to comply, saying, 'I'm an actor, not a doodhwala'. It took Irrfan bribing Rishi with 'chicken jungli and alcohol' for him to stay in the desert. It was a near-impossible feat in Kutch, but he delivered on his promise and I got my shot".

Advani also shared a funny moment while shooting with Rishi and Irrfan. "Today, a scene from my 2013 film, D-Day, flashes through my mind. Irrfan (Khan) looking at Chintuji, and laughing, amazed that they had finally managed to capture this much-wanted terrorist, despite their plans have failed. "I remember Irrfan urging me to let the camera continue to roll and what emerged was this moment of delicious irony."

D-day, released in 2013, remains the only film in which Rishi and Irrfan had shared screen space. Rishi Kapoor played the role of D-company leader, while Irrfan portrayed the character of a RAW agent.

Earlier, the Kal Ho Na Ho director had mourned the loss of his co-star by sharing a small still from the film along with a heartfelt message. 

No one treated me with the respect an actor gives a director more than you did, that too being who you were. You were my friend sir. I’m sitting, remembering and just chuckling, laughing. Waiting for your booming voice to say “boy... make me one more drink!” #RishiKapoor #RIP

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

At least one thing is for sure. There will be jashan in the heavens tonight. #RIPLegend #RishiKapoor #IrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/V4qXyWjeqp

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

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Irrfan Khan's son Babil has posted a video of the late actor indulging in pani puri after a shoot. "When you're on diet for so long and then the shoot ends and you can have pani puri," Babil captioned the video posted on Instagram.

Irrfan breathed his last early on Wednesday at the age of 54. He was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection earlier this week. The actor is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons Babil and Ayan.

Following his death, Babil took to Instagram to express gratitude towards everyone for sending their condolences. "I'm deeply grateful for all the condolences you beautiful friends are pouring in for me. Although, I hope you understand that right now I'm no being able to reply because my vocabulary is dizzy," he wrote.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

When you’re on diet for so long and then the shoot ends and you can have pani puri.

A post shared by Babil Khan (@babil.i.k) onMay 1, 2020 at 6:42am PDT

"I will get back to each one of you but just not right now. Thank you so much! I love you," he added.

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Versatile Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passed away at the age of 53 on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 11:11 am due to colon infection. The actor was undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine cancer and was admitted at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital due to a colon infection. The actor's last rites were performed on the same day in the presence of his family, close relatives and friends. Irrfan is survived by his wife Sutapa and sons – Babil and Ayan.

Soon after news of Irrfan's death broke on the internet, social media was flooded with messages from fans and celebrities expressing their grief. Son Ayaan also mourned the loss of his father by sharing beautiful memories of his father through his childhood pictures.

In the picture, Irrfan is seen riding a bike with Ayaan sitting in front. He captioned the black and white picture, "The flesh we roam this earth in is a blessing, not a promise (sic)". In another photo, the father-son duo looks handsome.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

The flesh we roam this earth in is a blessing, not a promise.

A post shared by ayAAn khan (@arkane_7) onMay 1, 2020 at 9:36am PDT

Earlier, Irrfan's elder son Babil had shared has posted a video of the late actor indulging in pani puri after a shoot. "When you're on diet for so long and then the shoot ends and you can have pani puri," Babil captioned the video posted on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

When you’re on diet for so long and then the shoot ends and you can have pani puri.

A post shared by Babil Khan (@babil.i.k) onMay 1, 2020 at 6:42am PDT

Earlier, Babil had shared a heartfelt note on his Instagram handle. In the note, Babil thanked everybody for their support and condolence messages as his family faced with the most difficult challenge. He wrote: "I'm deeply grateful for all the condolences you beautiful friends are pouring in for me. Although I hope you understand that right now I’m not being able to reply because my vocabulary is dizzy. I will get back to each one of you but just not right now. Thank you so much. I love you (sic)."

On April 28, the Piku actor was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the Intensive Care Unit. In 2018, Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour and was undergoing treatment for the same.

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The passing away of two of the biggest names of Hindi Cinema, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, will never be forgotten. April 29 and 30 will be marked as two of the darkest days of all time when we lost the doyens of acting. Khan passed away on April 29 due to the complications arising out of the Colon infection, whereas Kapoor breathed his last on April 30 after a two-year battle with leukemia.

Almost the entire Bollywood took to their social media accounts to pay homage and tributes to their legacy and selfless contribution to Cinema with their powerful and path-breaking performances. And now, Meenakshi Seshadri, who worked with Kapoor in Damini in 1993, has also taken to her social media account to share her sorrow and pain on their demise. The video is surely likely to leave you emotional.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Rest in peace Mr. Rishi Kapoor and Mr. Irfan Khan. You both will be remembered forever & our love and support for your family, friends and fans will be never ending. I know my words not enough but you both shall surely have a great life and fortune in your upcoming birth on this beautiful mother earth. RIP #bollywood #love #india #instagram #hollywood #tollywood #salmankhan #tiktok #mumbai #like #deepikapadukone #follow #instagood #actor #fashion #bollywoodactress #actress #kollywood #katrinakaif #aliabhatt #music #indian #priyankachopra #bollywoodsongs #likeforlikes #beautiful #shahrukhkhan #bollywooddance #shraddhakapoor #bhfyp

A post shared by Meenakshi Seshadri (@meenakshiseshadriofficial) onApr 30, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT

And if you remember, Rishi Kapoor had even tweeted a picture of himself posing with his Damini co-star all the way back in 2015 when she paid him a surprise visit at his residence. Remember this?:

Any guesses who this is? I didn't recognise her for a moment. What a lovely surprise. Name in 30 mins no hints. pic.twitter.com/RbYfF1l7Wx

— Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) June 30, 2015

Kapoor and Khan went away too soon but will always be alive in our hearts. The world, through their work over the years, will not let them die!

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For the uninitiated, the demise of Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan has left a void that will never be filled. The legends have only left millions of memories for all of us through their films and performances, both of which will always stay unforgettable. Their collective contribution to Indian Cinema was over a 100 years, yes!

However, a Pakistani host by the name of Amir Liaquat recently made fun of their deaths and that has forced another Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui to take to his social media account to apologise. Taking to Instagram, he wrote- "So I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling right now or what to say. But this needs to go out. I was invited on the live chat show 'Jeewey Pakistan' yesterday when this unfortunate incident happened." (sic)

He added, "The anchor Amir Liaquat Sahab joked about something extremely sensitive. Not only were they both close to me but also as a human it was wrong on so many levels. I cannot even call it 'hitting below the belt'." (sic)

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

🙏.

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) onMay 1, 2020 at 3:30pm PDT

In case you were unaware, Siddiqui played the role of Sridevi's husband in Mom and also shared the screen with Irrfan Khan in 2007's International film, A Mighty Heart. He even shared a picture from one of the stills from that film to mourn the actor's sudden demise and wrote a long note. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

“Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un”..... "Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return."! . . . Disturbed and gutted!! A fine soul gone too soon. I had the honour of first meeting Irrfan as a co-star on the sets of ‘A Mighty Heart.’ For one of the scenes after learning his lines I saw him doing the scene again and again which left me puzzled. I asked him, Irrfan Sahab ye kya kar rahe hain aap? He replied- We’re both playing CID agents which means we’ll be showing our ID cards everywhere. I’m practicising the scene so I don’t look clumsy while showing the ID card. And that was the first time I realised what a fine actor he was. We’d become friends on the sets and used to hang out together after the shoot. I remember for another scene, he wanted to know a word in Urdu used commonly in Pakistan and he asked me. He was a great actor but didn’t shy away from learning and perfecting his art. One of the evenings, he shared an incident where him and his friend got the role of an extra actor in James Bond series “Octopussy” which was shot in India. But because they cycled to the set, they were late and the shoot was over. He told me since then he wanted to do a Hollywood movie. Our careers in Hollywood started together, but he proved his mettle and conquered the fort. In 2018 while attending IPPA in London. I found out that he was in London, though he wasn’t meeting anyone he agreed to meet me. We had a long chat about movies and world in general. He looked so positive. His last words were- “Adnan, I’ll be fine very soon and I’ll be back. InshAllah”! Who knew today, I would be penning this note. Condolences and strength to his family. Irrfan, you will be missed a lot. Rest in peace my friend.🙏

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) onApr 29, 2020 at 3:02am PDT

And this is what he had to say about Kapoor's unfortunate death:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Another huge blow!. It’s very devastating to see two legends of Bollywood passing away in two days . Rishi Sahib , you will be remembered always! 🙏🏽

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) onApr 29, 2020 at 11:21pm PDT

What are your opinions on this whole issue?

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"The first day of Sadak 2 shoot brought back memories of the '90s," says Sanjay Dutt, who has reunited with Mahesh Bhatt for the sequel to the 1991 hit, Sadak. The drama holds an all-important place in the actor's career — not only does Sadak 2 have the potential to be that elusive hit he has been seeking over the past three years, but it also marks Bhatt's return to direction after 20 years.

Dutt notes that the past two decades have not dampened Bhatt's enthusiasm or inquisitiveness — two qualities that make him a fine storyteller. "Bhatt saab's vision remains unchanged. He still seeks perfection in every shot, and his passion for filmmaking has remained intact all these years. I am glad to be a part of Sadak 2 and work with the maestro," says the actor, who shares screen space with Pooja and Alia Bhatt, and Aditya Roy Kapur in the latest instalment.

Currently waiting to resume work on the last stint of the sequel, Dutt is using the time to sift through scripts coming his way. With an increasing number of actors being web-bound, Dutt reveals he too is keen to dabble in digital entertainment. "OTT platforms are flourishing, and have brought about so much variety in terms of content. They also enable artistes to experiment with material and characters. If I get a script that excites me, I would love to [foray into digital entertainment]."

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Pakistani television personality Aamir Liaquat Husain has apologised for making extremely insensitive remarks about the deaths of iconic Bollywood stars Sridevi and Irrfan Khan. Recently, in a segment of his show Jeewey Pakistan, he joked about the deaths, which shocked the film world globally, with actor Adnan Siddiqui, who has worked with Sridevi and Irrfan Khan.

Liaquat Husain started off by saying that Adnan saved the lives of Rani Mukerji and Bipasha Basu. A confused Adnan asked how. To which, Liaquat Husain disgracefully joked about how the actors Adnan worked with outside of Pakistan, died.

"You worked in Mom and Sridevi died, you worked with Irrfan Khan as well and he passed away. You were offered roles in Mardaani 2 and Jism 2 but you declined, so the actors of that movie owe their life to you," he added.

Adnan looked uncomfortable with the remarks and even told Liaquat Husain that it was not something to joke about. Adnan worked with Irrfan in 2007's A Mighty Heart, which also featured Angelina Jolie.

Liaquat Husain faced a lot of flak for remarks. On Saturday, he released a video, apologising for his insensitive comments.

"Sometimes you lose control over your words. That happens in a live show. At the time it didn't seem like a big issue but when I later thought about I realised that was not appropriate. So I'm really sorry. Keeping humanity in mind, this should not have been said. I made a mistake," he said in the video. Adnan also released a statement about his reaction to the incident on Twitter. Have a look at the video:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

My statement regarding yesterday’s program... hope we all can move on with this now... May Allah bless us in this holy month Aameen #aamirliaquat #humanity #respect

A post shared by Aamir Liaquat Hussain (@iamaamirliaquat) onMay 1, 2020 at 6:46pm PDT

In a statement, he said: "So I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling right now or what to say. But this needs to go out. I was invited on the live chat show Jeewey Pakistan yesterday when this unfortunate incident happened. The anchor Amir Liaquat Sahab joked about something extremely sensitive. Not only were they both close to me but also as a human it was wrong on so many levels. I cannot even call it hitting below the belt."

"It was an extremely callous act to joke about the deceased. This is in very bad taste, not only does it show him and me but also the entire country in bad light. I want to apologise to the families of Sridevi Sahiba and lrrfan Khan Sahab, their loved ones and fans. If you see my body language I was extremely uncomfortable with what he said but I didn't want to stoop to that level. I regret being on the show. I've learnt my lesson and I promise I will not tolerate such an act in future. I was hoping this bit wouldn't become public but unfortunately it has. I'm sorry. Thank you," he said, concluding the statement with folded hands emoji.

Sridevi died in 2018. Irrfan breathed his last on April 29 at the age of 54. He was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection earlier this week. However, he succumbed to his ailment.

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Days after the demise of his 'Slumdog Millionaire' co-star Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor on Monday remembered the seasoned star and said that he will especially remember his contagious 'smile.'

Kapoor took to Instagram to share three pictures of himself with Irrfan.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

These pictures bring back so many memories! There was something about his smile that would instantly make everyone around him smile... One of the many things I’ll always remember about Irrfan....

A post shared by anilskapoor (@anilskapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 3:36am PDT

In one of the pictures, Khan is seen speaking at an event while Kapoor is seen sitting beside him and laughing while looking at him.

"These pictures bring back so many memories! There was something about his smile that would instantly make everyone around him smile... One of the many things I'll always remember about Irrfan," Kapoor wrote in the caption.

The other two pictures are from the famous international film award function - Screen Actors Guild Award (SAG). The two pictures feature the cast of the film including Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and others besides himself and Irrfan.

Irrfan Khan and Anil Kapoor starrer 'Slumdog Millionaire' is a recipient of Oscar awards in many categories and it also has several SAG awards to its name.

The internationally renowned actor Irrfan Khan passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer.

The 53-year-old actor was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

With critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox,' 'The Namesake' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit, Irrfan was regarded as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema.

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The demise of Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan not only shocked the whole nation but also left a void that can never be filled. Their contribution to Hindi Cinema will always be remembered. What made them stand out was their ability to transform and become the characters they were portraying on the celluloid. Nearly the entire Bollywood fraternity has paid them their tributes.

And now, talking about the two stars is another veteran Bollywood star, Shatrughan Sinha. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror about them, he poured his heart out. He first talked about Rishi Kapoor and said, "After Rajendra Kumar and Rajesh Khanna, he became the poster boy of romance with his style. But Ranbir has big shoes to fill because baap baap hota hai. One can't compare the two at the moment."

He then went on to talk about Irrfan Khan and said, "Irrfan was a combination of struggle, determination and conviction. He made his dream come true through hard work. I watched Hindi Medium and Angrezi Medium and his acting will be a textbook experience for a younger generation of actors."

Coming back to Rishi Kapoor, he and Sinha were very close friends and even shared screen-space in Manmohan Desai's Naseeb in 1981. Speaking of Irrfan Khan, Sinha worked with him too in 2004 in Madhur Bhandarkar's Aan: Men At Work.

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Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian composer AR Rahman says it is unfortunate that he could not pay his last respects to iconic stars Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. "It is so unfortunate that at this time nobody can even go for the funerals. They gave so much of themselves for the people to see, and it is such an unfortunate time (that we couldn't even attend the funeral)," Rahman told IANS.

"It is the holy month of Ramadan, in a way they are blessed," he added. Irrfan, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, passed away last week at the age of 54. Irrfan was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital with a colon infection. He succumbed to his ailment in hospital

Rishi Kapoor died a day later after battling leukemia, at HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in the city. He was 67.

On the work front, Rahman has joined hands with celebrated lyricist Prasoon Joshi to give a musical tribute to the nation's fight against COVID-19, with song "Hum haar nahi maanenge". The song has been released by HDFC Bank.

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Celebrated lyricist Prasoon Joshi was in constant touch with late actor Irrfan Khan while he was going through a "really painful" treatment for his rare illness. Joshi says Irrfan's brave fight against the disease is inspiring.

Irrfan, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, passed away last week at the age of 54. He was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection. He succumbed to his ailment in hospital.

"I was in constant touch with Irrfan. I talked to him a lot during this crisis of what he was going through. It was remarkable to see (him fight the illness)," Prasoon told IANS. "His treatment was really painful. He had a rare kind of disease. Despite the painful treatment, he was trying to keep up with his commitments and he fought till the last breath. It is very inspiring," he added.

Prasoon also opened up on the demise of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who died on April 30 after battling leukemia. "I knew him for a long time, and his family too. He was an alive person and he was somebody who would light up the place, wherever he went. It is sad that they went pretty young -- I mean Irrfan has gone really young, and Rishiji, in today's time, also went pretty young," said Prasoon, who added that "even the grief is suffering" referencing to not being able to to pay his last respects to the late stars amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Recently, on work front, Prasoon joined hands with Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian composer AR Rahman to give a musical tribute to the nation's fight against COVID-19, with song "Hum haar nahi maanenge".

The song has been conceptualised to spread hope, positivity and motivation. The emotional track reminds people that we all are in this together, stating that we will get through it together. The song is composed by Rahman, and the lyrics are penned by Joshi.

The song was released by HDFC Bank last week.

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The reticent Bobby Deol is hogging the limelight due to the poem, Chand roz ki baat hai yaaron, which he has recited in a music video. Written by Sanjay Masoomm, it appreciates the efforts of the Corona warriors.

The actor shares, "I was taken in by its simplicity. It resonated with me. It makes me happy to be associated with this positivity, and I appreciate the way this situation has made us all join hands and come together."

 

 

 

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we will win this war ... let’s be kind and appreciative of all the efforts put in by our #COVIDWarriors ... thank you @sanjaymasoomm for writing such beautiful words and making me a part of it ... #StayAtHomeIsStillSafe in this #Lockdown3.0 let’s be careful and not go out unless necessary, ये सब हमारी भलाई के लिए ही किया जा रहा है! 🙏🏻 #SaveLives #IndiaFightsCorona #StayHome #Lockdown #Covid19 #Coronavirus @my_bmc @cmomaharashtra_ @mumbaipolice

A post shared by Bobby Deol (@iambobbydeol) onMay 4, 2020 at 3:04am PDT

According to a report in IANS, Bobby Deol shared, "It makes me very happy to be associated with this positivity, and I appreciate the way this situation has made us all join hands and come together. Who knew that social distancing could bring people together, with all of us checking up on one another and being there for people emotionally, if not in person."

Sanjay Masoomm said, "When I wrote the lines, I wanted someone whose voice will add weight to them. I have worked with Bobby Deol in several films and I know he's not only got a powerful voice but also a heart of gold. He's a very emotional man and his voice will help this ode reach out to more people. Bobby has read it out wonderfully with all the feeling and emotions."

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Actress Tisca Chopra worked with the late Irrfan Khan in the critically acclaimed film "Qissa" besides in TV projects. She says Irrfan pushed her in the right direction during her initial days of struggle.

"As I was struggling in the nineties and feeling disheartened, I would say that I wanted to quit acting because there was nothing that I could get from here, especially substantial work that I was looking forward to. I remember Tishu (Tigmanshu Dhulia) and Irrfan were there, and Irrfan promptly said, 'dekh lo, kaise har maan rahi hai, acting chhod dena hai? Theek hai, chhod de, lekin yaad rakh, apne tarike se aage badhne ke liye, himmat chahiye hoti hai… guts chahiye,guts!'" Tisca recalled, speaking to IANS.

According to the actress, Irrfan gave DVDs of films like "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Once Upon A Time In America" and it was like a task for her to watch and understand these films.

Subsequently, Irrfan produced a segment of the TV show, "Star Bestsellers", titled "Hum Saath Saath Hain Kya?" that was written by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and directed by Dhulia. He cast Tisca in the segment.

"He gave me the right kind of challenges for an actor to stay at my battle. Along with him, Tigmanshu and few more people gave me the scope to overall challenge the scene of entertainment. He was surely instrumental in my career," shared Tisca.

Irrfan passed away on April 29 in Mumbai, at the age of 53, due to colon infection. While the sudden demise of the actor left the film industry shocked and sadden, Tisca said: "Now that few days have gone by, emotionally I am in a better stage. I am talking and thinking why so many people reacted to Irrfan's demise as a personal loss. I think, even if you do not know him personally, through his acting, he showed us expressions that we usually reserve for our family, friends and intimate people."

She added: "As an actor he had the courage to show us that vulnerability. So even as an audience when you watch his film, through his performance you experience the story along with those characters. You, as an audience did not look at Irrfan, you looked with him at the world of that story. That is why it is intimate. That is why Irrfan belonged to his audience. That is why his demise is very personal to the audience. Of course, we are his close people! It is devastating for us."

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Shoojit Sircar's Piku is a film that has been described as a comedy. But none of the conversations (mostly revolving around constipation) that happen between the characters in the film are remotely funny. Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone's incessant arguments escalate to constant bickering and screechy fights, and surprisingly, we laugh. We laugh at how cantankerous a man can be and how cranky a woman can be.

Amid this pandemonium, there was a character that was both immensely likeable and charming, Rana Chaudhary, played by the immortal and inimitable Irrfan Khan. Rana himself hailed from a dysfunctional family, so for him to relate to Piku's relationship with her father wasn't tough, but it was indeed nightmarish for him to take a journey with these characters from Delhi to Kolkatta. This was certainly not the road trip he expected or wanted to experience.

His was a role that was soaked in inherent goodness. He had a taxi service and his drivers were always on time. But nobody wanted to travel with Piku, she was an explosion waiting to happen and was a stickler for precision and perfection, she could very well be suffering from OCD. But Rana is the only one who sees her niceness and says to all his drivers she's not bad at heart.

As the journey begins, he too begins to understand this family and how they function on a daily basis. Any man could lose his sanity staying with them, Khan almost does and explodes at Bhaskar in one scene, leaving him silent and shocked. But a few moments later, we see him helping the man in successfully taking a dump. He has constipation and feels nothing in the morning. Khan gives some suggestions and they finally work. Bhaskar finally cracks a smile after staying solemn throughout the film! The smile is because of Rana, and not Piku!

This cracker of a film also offered us a very unique love story. Right till the end we don't know whether Piku and Rana have developed feelings for each other or not. Given the character she is, she's not easily impressed and she tells this to him at least twice in the film. It would have been interesting to see Rana's reaction when Bhaskar passed away, he died a peaceful death as he wished and wanted, and all his friends and relatives also celebrate the same instead of being choked.

Is this finale of Piku strikingly similar to Khan? He achieved everything in his illustrious career an actor aspires for, both in India and Internationally. His contribution to Cinema can never be forgotten, and he will always be alive with the characters he left for all of us. We all are collectively mourning, but we also need to celebrate the fact that he also passed away peacefully, leaving tears in the eyes but a smile on the lips!

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Actor Kartik Aaryan said playing two characters in one movie would seem scary, but if the transition from Veer to Raghu in "Love Aaj Kal" was smooth he credits the film's director Imtiaz Ali for it. The actor feels Ali brings out great performances from actors in his movies.

Kartik took to Instagram and shared a still from "Love Aaj Kal", and also a picture of himself along with Ali. Alongside the image he wrote: "When you first dream of being in films, you act in front of the mirror and nail it every time, and the world of movies seems magical.?Then you get a movie. You see the camera and are unnerved. It's bigger than the suitcase you brought to Mumbai. The bright lights seem to be scolding you for not landing on a one inch tape mark and wasting everyones time."

"The first few years become about trying not to look nervous.?Then you get an Imtiaz Ali movie. The moment he narrates the story, you are pulled into a dream. I don't even remember seeing the camera on his set, he‘d always be standing wherever I looked after cut. He was never at the monitor, he was by my side. The lights on Imtiaz Ali's set help you find those tape marks," he added.

Kartik claimed he never experienced the kind of love and appreciation he got for his performance in "Love Aaj Kal". "And that too from some of my favourite filmmakers and people I most respect in the industry. How ironic that the making of this film felt most effortless. It would scare me to think of doing two characters in one movie. And here, I didn't even realise how smoothly I was being transitioned between #Veer and #Raghu," he wrote.

"For an actor, there is no better environment than being In front of that mirror. Imtiaz Ali takes you there. This is the reason why so many great actors' greatest performances have been in Imtiaz Ali films," Kartik added.

The actor then praised Ali and called him a "magician". "Imtiaz Ali director nahi hain, jadugar hain (Imtiaz Ali is not a director but a magician)! Thank you sir for giving me the best performance of my career yet. @imtiazaliofficial #LoveAajKal."

"Love Aaj Kal" co-starring Sara Ali Khan released on Valentine's Day this year. It traced love stories of two different eras -- the first is set in the late 1980s-early nineties, and unfolds between Raghu and Leena. The other love story, set in the present time, happens between Veer and Zoe.

The film is a retelling of Ali's own film of 2009 that starred Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan, and was a hit. "Love Aaj Kal" 2020 fared below expectation at the box-office and was also critically panned.

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On the fifth anniversary of the film Piku, Deepika Padukone remembered her late co-star in the film, Irrfan Khan, who passed away on April 29. "Piku" released on May 8, 2015, and on Friday Deepika shared a message on Facebook along with a still from the film's shoot. Tagging the film's writer Juhi Chaturvedi and director Shoojit Sircar, the actress shared the lyrics of the song "Lamhe guzar gaye" from "Piku".

At the end of the message, she wrote: "Rest in Peace my Dear Friend... #rana #piku #bhaskor #ShoojitSircar #JuhiChaturvedi."

 

 

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...💔 #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

Her reference was to the characters in the film. While Irrfan was Rana, Deepika played Piku, and Amitabh Bachchan had essayed Bhaskor in Shoojit Sircar's slice-of-life romantic comedy. "Piku" was a box-office success, and the film won three National Awards -- for Bachchan as Best Actor, and Juhi Chaturvedi for Best Screenplay and Best Dialogues.

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April 29, 2020, is going to be one of the darkest days for all Irrfan Khan fans and Hindi cinema. His untimely demise has shaken one and all, especially the people from the fraternity who worked with him and knew him as a person and not just an actor. The actor was undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine cancer and was admitted at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital due to a colon infection. The actor's last rites were performed on the same day in the presence of his family, close relatives and friends. Irrfan is survived by his wife Sutapa and sons, Babil and Ayaan.

Soon after news of Irrfan's death broke on the internet, social media was flooded with messages from fans and celebrities expressing their grief. Filmmaker Anees Bazmee mourned his death by sharing a throwback picture with Irrfan from the sets of their film ‘Thank You’. The picture shows Anees explaining a scene to Irrfan. Sharing the picture, he wrote, "I still can't believe he is no more with us, my heart sinks thinking about it. We have lost one of this generation's greatest actor. To work with @irrfank was a magical and special privilege. #FlashbackFriday (sic)".

 

 

 

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I still can't believe he is no more with us, my heart sinks thinking about it. We have lost one of this generation's greatest actor. To work with Irrfan was a magical and special privilege. #FlashbackFriday

A post shared by Anees Bazmee (@aneesbazmee) onMay 7, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT

On April 28, the Piku actor was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the Intensive Care Unit. In 2018, Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour and was undergoing treatment for the same.

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There may not be a single soul who didn't like Irrfan Khan for some quality or the other. Be it his acting prowess, his expressive eyes, the magic in his voice, or for simply the kind of person he was, Irrfan was loved and admired by people across the world. 

When he left us on April 29, 2020, it felt like one of the darkest days Hindi cinema had seen. Messages of condolence and sorrow came in from the most unexpected corners of the world, further proving that Irrfan Khan was indeed a global icon.

Deepika Padukone and Irrfan shared screen space in the much-loved film Piku, which starred Amitabh Bachchan as well. The actress recently shared a video that shows her playing tennis with Irrfan, possibly on the sets of Piku. She remembered Irrfan with a broken heart emoji and wrote, "Please come back!"

 

 

 

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please come back!💔 #irrfankhan

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 8:27pm PDT

Dippy and Irrfan shared a close camaraderie, which was apparent in the effortless way they shared the screen in Piku, which released on May 8, 2015. And on the fifth anniversary of their film, Deepika shared a quaint photo of herself and Irrfan in one frame laughing their hearts out.

 

 

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...💔 #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

Irrfan Khan will be missed for years to come, and will surely be never forgotten.

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Babita Ji from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is one of the most loved and famous characters on Indian television. The show has been running for the last 11 years and the actor even posted a picture of herself, proudly announcing the completion of 2900 episodes. This is truly historic! Spider-Man's uncle said with great power comes great responsibility. And Munmun Dutta, the actor who plays Babita Ji, has acted responsibly in every sense of the term.

The thing is that over the past few weeks, some fake TikTok accounts of the actress have been doing the rounds on the Internet and this has truly worried her. And taking to her Instagram account, she shared a screenshot of the same and also wrote a message on her Instagram story- "If I ever decide to come on TikTok, I will let you all know here first." (sic)

Have a look at the screenshot of the fake accounts first:

And here comes the message:

Well, hope all those people who were following her on these fake pages now unfollow her immediately. Follow her on Instagram for her gorgeous pictures and keep watching her iconic show and her superlative performance.

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Today, the world woke up to the sad news of superstar Irrfan Khan passing away. The actor, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, was admitted to the hospital recently as he had a colon infection. His passing away has left the industry in shock.

Arjun Bijlani: Last night, I saw Angrezi Medium I Tweeted also because Radhika Madan is also there and she is a good friend of mine. Suddenly this news came today and I am not able to understand what happened. My mind is disturbed and I am broken, it is too shocking. I was a huge fan and he was an actor who was everybody’s inspiration for the roles that he played. It is disturbing to hear that he is gone away especially in this lockdown because in this situation fans can’t even go to pay their last respects. So it’s a sad day and I am sure many actors are going to grieve this for a very long time.

Aniruddh Dave: It was shocking to wake up to this news today morning. He was an artist par excellence. I still can't get over it. He is from my hometown Jaipur. It is a sad day for me. From Piku to Hindi Medium to Angrezi Medium and TV show Banegi Apni Baat will never fade in my memories.

Shashank Vyas: I feel like I have lost someone in my family. it is a very bad day and I became very emotional when I got to know. I understand the acting. I have posted a scene on Instagram which was given by my acting guru and the scene was of Irrfan Khan only from the film Rog. In the scene, you will feel that the lines he said he didn’t say from mouth, he said from his eyes. My favorite films of his are Paan Singh Tomar, Angrezi medium, Hindi Medium. He was so natural on screen. I learnt so much just looking at him.

Jasmin Bhasin: It is sad to know of the sudden death news of Irrfan khan. I have watched all his films including Angrezi medium. He is a fine actor. He is irreplaceable in Bollywood.

Amal Sehrawat: Sir, thanks a lot for teaching us that the biggest achievement in life is to accept ourselves, you never portrayed any image, you never flaunted anything, you inspired all actors to be honest in front of the camera, your life journey is inspiring and gives immense power to everyone to fight bravely and live optimistically. Hasil, Maqbool, Yeh Saali Zindagi, Paan Singh Tomar, Hindi Medium are some of my favourite films.

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Several television celebrities will get together in a virtual music concert to pay a tribute to Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, who passed away last week. Titled Dard-e-Dil, the concert includes artistes like Bharati Singh, Maniesh Paul, Hina Khan, Arjun Bijlani, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Sukhwinder Singh and Aditya Narayan among others.

"This tribute is a great chance for us to pay respects to these two legends of Bollywood. Both Rishi Kapoor ji and Irrfan Khan have given so much joy to us fans through their work. The last week was indeed the worst week for Indian Cinema as we lost two legends one after the other. They may have gone from the world but they will live in our hearts forever through the work they have done. I am honoured beyond words that I have been chosen to give them tribute to them through this concert. We will celebrate their unforgettable contribution to Bollywood and pay the tribute," Bharati said.

Irrfan breathed his last on April 29 at the age of 54. He was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection. However, unfortunately he succumbed to his ailment. Rishi Kapoor passed away a day later at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital on April 30. He had been battling leukemia for the past two years.

The concert will be aired on Colors channel on Sunday, May 10.

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London: With cafes and fancy restaurants full of couples trying to squeeze in a date on Valentine's Day, celebrating at home might can turn out to be a very smart decision.

Helen Leigh-Jones, designer at furniture brand DFS, shares some tips on how to spruce up your place for an amazing romantic dinner, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Representational picture

>> Lighting is very important for an evening like this. Candles are perfect on Valentine's Day as they create the perfect soft, warm, romantic glow. Fairy lights are a lovely way of setting the mood as well.

>> Flowers are always welcome on Valentine's Day. It is important to choose fresh rose petals to scatter around your home or place a few small arrangements throughout the house.

>> Making a comfortable love seat will also help. Make sure you have a throw, a box of chocolates and some wine within arm's length so you don't have to move from each other's arms all evening.

>> Turn off all modern technologies like the phone and the television.

>> Change the place of dining. A rug on the living room floor will be nice for a romantic picnic.
- With inputs from agencies 

A week ago, actor Irrfan Khan breathed his last after his prolonged battle with neuroendocrine tumour. Tributes have been pouring in for the late actor. Many had the opportunity to work with him while several filmmakers wished they had a chance! Reminiscing about becoming friends with Irrfan, filmmaker Anand Gandhi recently spoke about the possibility of working with him for a film based on pandemic.

The filmmaker recently revealed that he met Irrfan Khan around the release of Maqbool. They drove to Pune once and became friends over the years. They had explored the possibility of him starring in Tumbbad and it was before the final script and schedule changes were made. He said that Irrfan Khan could also have starred in the pandemic film Emergence that he had been working on for years.

Revealing more about Emergence, Anand said that he had been developing the script for five years. It tells the story of five women scientists fighting the contagion and are superheroes in their own way. With Emergence, he was taking the parasite-host relationship further. The script eerily represents the current scenario of the world. Tentatively titled 2020 at the time, he said that it had all the elements of storage crisis for scientific data, rightwing politics, among other things.

His idea is to make the film the most researched one on the pandemic. The filmmaker plans to take the film on the floor by next year. He said that they are collaborating with an American studio and it will be a big-budget project.

ALSO READ: Irrfan Khan’s son Babil shares an unseen video of his father enjoying a dip in ice-cold water