Irrfan was an introvert star who has left behind a world in mourning over personal loss
4 min read
Raj bansal, Jaipur-based film distributor for North India
By Raj Bansal
The writer is a columnist and a Jaipur-based film distributor for North India. He can be reached at @rajbansal9
I have been reading about the tragic demise of actor Irrfan Khan, and sifting through the reactions from film world and those he had interacted with, on social media platforms. Irrfan was an enigma throughout his professional climb in acting, which he with summited with his stellar roles in Hollywood. He was largely an introvert, and his circle was limited to people who he truly considered close.
The Introvert star
Irrfan didn’t fraternise much within the film industry and there would be, in my knowledge, very few who can actually share personal instances with him that have left a mark on their lives.
A poster of the critically acclaimed film Maqbool
I have had the opportunity to release four of his films for theatrical release. I released his film Maqbool (2003) that was both critically acclaimed and received well by the audience. Then, I distributed his films in which he starred later – Right Yaaa Wrong (2010) and Gunday (2014). I released Piku (2015), in which he had acted. We came from the same city, Jaipur, which has been our home. Unfortunately, despite being from the same city and working in the same industry, we could never meet in person, except once.
The first and last meeting between Jaipur Boys
I met him, briefly, while on a visit to Mumbai with a friend who is a writer. This must be some five years ago. Irrfan was shooting in Lokhandwala. We stopped by where my friend introduced me to him. He was riding high as an actor back then with his films getting an international release and audience. But he was very humble and cordial enough to ask for tea.
But the ice between us truly broke when our hometown Jaipur came up in our talks. The world was Irrfan’s fan. And, Irrfan was a diehard fan of Jaipur. He was very happy to learn I am from Jaipur and, then recollected my name. “Aap humaare sheher se ho… Aapke bare mein suna hai humne (Sir, you are from my city, I have heard about you),” he said, when he came to know I am a Jaipur-based film distributor.
To achieve international acclaim, you need to posses two weapons in your armory. The first is also the obvious one: Talent. The second is the drive. Irrfan had both.
Raj Bansal
“Chhat pe patang udane ka maza hi kucch alag hai Jaipur me (It’s a different rush altogether to fly kites from the rooftop in Jaipur) ,” he mused. He was an actor in a different league. When you’re a star you don’t refer to kite flying. You make up a story that pleases your friends. He did not. To a distributor who is friends with and has worked with some of the most notable stars of the day, Irrfan still came across as the boy-next-door. He was bereft of any pretention.
Why he became the Indian face of Hollywood
People ask me how did a small-town guy go on to become India’s cultural brand ambassador in the globe? To achieve international acclaim, you need to posses two weapons in your armory. The first is also the obvious one: You need talent. Irrfan was schooled in the National School of Drama. He honed his acting skills in the theatre and then television. He was always confident of his acting skills, which is a good thing to have for an actor.
The second skill-set you need is a drive to make it big in the international arena. He had started making waves with his performances in several Bollywood films. He had the range and the knack of cracking roles, with which he marked his own territory here. But he was looking for more.
Irrfan Khan to Raj Bansal in their first meeting
Chhat pe patang udane ka maza hi kucch alag hai Jaipur me (It’s a different rush altogether to fly kites from the rooftop in Jaipur)
Not all actors who make it big are talented. There are few of them. But, those who are talented like Aamir Khan or Deepika Padukone are happy with their personal space in Bollywood, which also sells them as stars around the world with more and more countries offering theatrical release of Indian movies.
Irrfan not only accepted the challenge but also filled in the space that was screaming for attention. Two Oscar-winning films – the Slumdog Millionaire and the Life of Pi – changed his fortunes. He has since followed it up with several mainstream commercial films with roles centric to the plot, which is an achievement in itself.
A personal loss
While I was reading about his departure and the condolences people were posting on their timelines, I realised most people, including journalists and people outside the film industry who had a limited engagement with him were describing his passing away as a “personal loss”. Irrfan, as I said, was an introvert and for such a humongous following of his to take his passing away into the afterlife as a personal loss is an overwhelming tribute to the actor and the person he was.
People who don’t even know him, have this nagging feeling they won’t be getting to see the actor anymore, an actor who was honest to his role, no matter how the film turned up. The other side of the coin is his behaviour. He was humble to complete strangers in spite of being a star. And, I carried that impression with me from our first and only meeting. For the same reason, like countless others, his passing away is also a personal loss to me.
