Away from stereotypes: The glorious life of Irrfan Khan
What's the story
Irrfan Khan's untimely demise has left a void in millions of hearts, permanently.
He defined versatility. His eyes spoke, when his lips didn't even move.
His performances in Maqbool, The Lunchbox, The Namesake and many more were path-breaking, and watching him on celluloid was like an acting tutorial in itself.
On his first death anniversary, let's find out what made him so impressively different.
Career
When Irrfan, the enigma, landed in the film industry
Irrfan's acting skills partly come from the rigorous training he received at the prestigious Delhi institution, National School of Drama.
He started out with a small role in Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay, but after nothing much came of it, he took up multiple gigs on television.
It was with Maqbool that his position in Bollywood solidified.
Irrfan, the enigma, had officially arrived!
Life
He wanted to keep fast on Mondays, Lord Shiva's day!
Not only on screen, he broke stereotypes in real life too. When he decided to marry Sutapa Sikdar, a Bengali Hindu, it was a statement in itself.
They have two sons, Babil and Ayan.
His views on religion too shocked all, especially his relatives.
Do you know, he wanted to keep a fast on Mondays, the day of Lord Shiva?
That's Irrfan for you!
Do you know?
Irrfan had predicted his death; told Babil about it
Apparently, he had told Babil that "I'm going to die," two days before breathing his last. He also wanted to work with him on a film and was looking for the perfect script for the two of them. That sadly never happened and never will.
Details
Irrfan dropped 'Khan' and 'Sahabzada' from his name
In an industry thriving on lineage and nepotism, Irrfan chose a neutral path.
For example, born Sahabzada Irfan Ali Khan, he dropped Sahabzada, as it indicated his family's privileged past.
He also chose to drop 'Khan' upon entering Bollywood.
Further, the doe-eyed actor changed his name from Irfan to Irrfan not for any astrological reasons, but simply because he loved the sound of it.
Quote
'Wanting fame is a disease. It's more like a cage'
Even though he struggled a lot to reach where he did, Irrfan emphasized repeatedly that he wanted to be a good human first.
He once very poignantly said, "Wanting fame is a disease. It's more like a cage. Maybe I'm cynical about it. I prefer to use the word acknowledgment."
Irrfan's want to make his audience genuinely happy made his demise so personal probably.
Tribute
Actors aren't heroes. They are glamorous people, he had said
The actor, who lost his life to cancer, once highlighted how the word "hero" is being wrongly used.
"I could see that people are finding them (actors) heroes. They are not heroes. They are glamorous people," he had said, in his characteristic straightforward yet charismatic manner.
"Real heroes affect people's lives," he had concluded.
Yes Irrfan, you are right.
Rest in peace, my hero!