Irrfan and his ideology in Cinema shall live on through the people he inspired and moved

Since yesterday, I’ve been trying to think why I felt so sad hearing about Irrfan’s death. As much as I would’ve loved to, I’ve never worked with him or even met him, hadn’t even seen him and his passing was an expected possibility given his prolonged sickness, yet I was pained. His passing felt personal and I wasn’t quite sure why!

I think it was many things. I think it was the fact that he was one of the best Actors India has ever seen, not a star, just a pure Actor. I think it was that you can be called a ‘Great’ once you’ve made or acted in 3 great films. Think of the biggest stars and you’ll be able to name 2–3 films of theirs that you truly respect. But Irrfan has at least 7–8 such films to his name, which is exceptional.

Maybe it was that his journey in cinema, was a self-made one. He chose to not inherit his father’s booming tyre business and he struggled for years before breaking through with the BAFTA winning ‘The Warrior’.

I think it was that Irrfan seemed to be a good person. A friend who’s worked with him and even others whose opinions I respect, talk so highly of him as a human being. They say he was kind and almost spiritual.

I think it was maybe the fact that though not traditionally good-looking nor well-built and having two left feet, Irrfan still became a lead Actor and commanded so much respect. He rubbed shoulders with and in fact left behind the Khans and other mainstream Actors in terms of talent and respect. In that sense, he was the classic underdog who stood tall among Giants.

Maybe it was that right from the start, he tried doing good, meaningful films, never opting to do something just because it would work. And this was in an era where it was much harder to take such decisions. Multiplexes hadn’t come in, Indian audiences hadn’t matured, Producers weren’t taking as many risks. But good writers and directors gravitated towards Irrfan and jointly they created magic.

I think it was that Irrfan seemed to be a good, liberal person, often taking on some of the problems within his own religion, like public animal slaughter.

Perhaps it was that Irrfan had been India’s most successful export to international cinema. He actually rejected ‘Interstellar’ and ‘The Martian’ to be able to work in ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘Piku’ respectively.

It was possibly also the time we are collectively in, a time of a pandemic, of collective grief, fear and sadness. A time when we’re confined to our homes, forced to reflect on everything we otherwise managed to avoid. A loss now feels bigger than a loss otherwise.

Maybe it was that whenever Irrfan appeared on screen, you’d sit in awe and await being amazed at his ‘thairaav’, his deeply philosophical demeanour, his calm, soothing intensity!

I think it was the incident when he asked my Art Director friend: “Kya karna hain zindagi mein?” and she replied “Bas aap ki tarah Art mein doob jaana hain”, he replied “Zindagi mein doob jao, Art khud bakhud nikal aayegi”.

I think it was all of this and perhaps a lot more. Irrfan died in a Hospital 800 metres to the left of my home and has been buried in a graveyard 800 metres to the right of my home.

But Irrfan and his ideology in Cinema shall live on through the people he inspired and moved.