Irrfan Khan, regarded as one of India’s finest actors, passed away in 2020 at the age of 53. He breathed his last at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where he had been admitted with a colon infection while also battling a neuroendocrine tumour since 2018. He left behind a remarkable body of work, including the romantic comedy ‘Qarib Qarib Singlle’. Actor Parvathy, who starred alongside him in the film, later reflected on her experience working with him.
Parvathy recalls working with Irrfan Khan
During a meet organised by Pinkvilla, a fan from the audience asked Parvathy what it was like working with Irrfan. Responding to the question, she shared her thoughts, saying, “I don’t think we talk enough about death. As a society I don’t think we are doing a great job talking about grief. We have lost a person who has experienced life and you have shared those moments with them, so allow to feel that grief. Whenever I am asked about Irrfan or Puneet [Rajkumar] even, they are two of my co-stars that we have lost and I can’t believe it. It doesn’t make sense that they are not here… I don’t have the words to express it still.”She added, “Irrfan used to say, ‘Abhi toh sirf shuruat hain (It is just the beginning).’ During the shoot of Qarib Qarib Singlle, he was so excited about this new chapter in his life. We don’t realise how lucky we are to be breathing, because it doesn’t make sense that I am alive and he is not. I don’t understand the logic of that. He lived every day with such childlike curiosity. He was that person, he was such a bouncing ball. If I were to think about him, which I try to avoid, because then we have to think about the fact that he is not here with us, it is the fact that he was kind and gentle. He was excited about life. I cherish that memory a lot.”
Irrfan Khan’s journey from television to global cinema
Khan began his acting journey on television before making his big-screen debut with the Oscar-nominated film ‘Salaam Bombay!’ in 1988. Over the years, he proved his versatility with performances in films like ‘Maqbool’, ‘Haider’, ‘Piku’, and ‘The Lunchbox’. Beyond Hindi cinema, he also earned global acclaim with notable roles in international projects such as ‘Life of Pi’, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, and ‘Inferno’, among others.
Irrfan Khan’s illness, final film and surviving family
In 2018, Irrfan shared with the world that he had been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour, writing in a social media post, “I hope to be back with more stories to tell.” He passed away in 2020 following a prolonged fight with the illness. The actor was last seen in the comedy-drama ‘Angrezi Medium’, a follow-up to his 2017 blockbuster ‘Hindi Medium’. He is survived by his wife, Sutapa Sikdar, and their two sons, Babil and Ayan.
