Irrfan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in March 2018, just weeks after he took his film Puzzle to the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018.
“Life is messy. There is nothing we can do to control it,” he says in the film.
Little did we know, just weeks later, he would quote a similar line, this time of Margaret Mitchell, ‘Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect,’ to announce he was taking a sabbatical to deal with rare cancer.
I was shocked to hear about his diagnosis then and I am deeply saddened to learn cancer has snatched him away now.
Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan's wife Sutapa Sikdar arrives at the Kokilaben Ambani hospital. The actor was buried in Mumbai on Wednesday. Source: MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images
Irrfan was one of the first 'stars' I interviewed. He wasn't this big, then.
I am talking about early 2005.
He had numerous television roles under his belt and his stellar but offbeat ‘Maqbool’ had brought him lots of accolades.
As a local reporter for Mid-day in Mumbai covering the suburb of Malad where he lived with his family, I often spoke to him and his wife, Sutapa Sikdar about local issues.
Both husband and wife were very vocal about civic issues, especially potholes and waterlogging.
Living in a high-rise opposite the glitzy Inorbit mall, quite a landmark in those days, the couple on a few occasions invited me home to speak to them in person when I was in the suburb and not on my desk in Lower Parel.
I will always remember how he never gave me a hard time when my editor was keen on 'celebrity voices'.
He answered the phone when I called for a quote.
I remember on one occasion when I was invited home, he opened the door but was busy on a phone call.
He let me browse his book collection as I waited for him to finish his call, appearing apologetic for making me wait.
We both moved onto doing better things in life but unlike him, I followed his journey and found immense joy when I saw him doing these amazing films.
Irrfan Khan in 'The Lunchbox' (2013) Source: SBS
That he was a terrific actor, would be an understatement for Irrfan.
He was known across the world for his roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, The Namesake, Jurassic World but one has to watch his Indian films - Paan Singh Tomar, Piku, The Lunchbox to understand why was he so adored and admired in India.
As a friend said in his tribute, ‘He never needed to look the part, because he made the part look like him.’
Truer words were never said.
When I saw him and his films winning awards, it felt like someone you know, is doing well in life and that brought me so much joy.
I was so happy for him.
And even though I am not closely related to him, his death has left me heartbroken.
Not many people have the ability to bring joy to people's lives.
AR Rahman, Jhumpa Lahiri, Fawad Khan, Rahul Dravid and Irrfan Khan are those people to me and I have lost one among them now.
RIP Irrfan. There won't be another like you.
*Mosiqi Acharya is SBS Hindi’s Senior Digital Content Producer. She worked as a Journalist in India for a decade before moving to Australia in 2014.
Listen to Irrfan Khan's interview with SBS Hindi:
Irrfan explains, how one can be 'Qarib Qarib Single'
