Exactly a month ago, the Indian film industry lost one of its acting gem Irrfan Khan. As the industry is managing to adjust, his fans and friends still break with just a simple mention of the actor’s name. Ziaullah, a friend and neighbor of Irfan khan from Jaipur spoke to Pinkvilla about the loss of his friend, “I don’t know if this void will be filled”, says Ziaullah. The latter began the conversation by dedicating these lines: ‘Maut Hai Uski Zaman Jiska Afsoos Kare, Yun Toh Duniya Main Sabhi Aaye Hai Marne Ke Liye!’ he adds, that the early demise of Irrfan has been an irreversible loss for the whole world including his friends, family, film industry and the society at large.
Ziaullah further added “People love him so much that they remember him every day. I am his neighbor and very close to his brother Salman. I used to ask about Irrfan’s health. Last, we had heard was that he was recovering and we were very happy about it. One of the reasons why his neighbors remember him fondly is because he was a simple man”, well we can’t deny with this fact, we got hear about his simplicity from his fans and co-stars also. Ziaullah says Irrfan never behaved like a celebrity. He was just another neighbor for the residence of Krishna Colony. “He used to meet neighbors and talk to them nicely. He used to inquire about them. Whenever he used to come to meet us, he would mostly talk about patangbazi (kite flying) and laugh. He used to be a kid in front of kids. You could never make out that he was such a big star,” Ziaullah adds.
Irfan’s mother also passed away just four days before Irfan’s demise, and this makes it worse for them. Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, he couldn’t attend the funeral rites. “He was very attached to his mother. He would rush home whenever he was informed of his ammi (mother’s) health. He would visit if it is for a short period, but his arrival to meet his mother was indubitable,” states Ziaullah.
Ziaullah also spoke about some beautiful memories with Irrfan khan, he said, “Irrfan bhai loved patang bazi (kite flying). Every year on 14th January he would try to come to Jaipur and spend time with family and friends. When he was a kid, he used to keep those kites next to his bed when he used to sleep. Whenever he used to come, it used to add positive energy to the colony. He used to get excited whenever a kite lost or won a battle.”
Ziaullah also revealed one thing about Irrfan khan who many didn’t know was that the actor helped to create funds for the poor people, the latter said, “With the Coronavirus situation we were creating funds to help people. When we spoke to his brother, he was ready to help and even Irrfan helped us with funds for poor people. His only clause was nobody should know that he has helped. As a family, they believe that the right hand shouldn’t know what the left hand has given. For them it was more important for them it was more important for people to get relief.”
“Now, I am sharing this with the world as he is no more between us. It’s our responsibility to tell everyone that there are souls like this too,” he concluded with a smile.
Irrfan Khan not only marked his acting skills in Indian Cinemas but he also left his mark in western cinemas also. We wish Irfan Khan stays in everyone’s heart and may his memories also stay with us.
