Remembering Irrfan Khan on his fifth death anniversary: What Naseeruddin Shah, Tom Hanks, Vishal Bhardwaj said about the ‘coolest guy in the room'

Indian Express

29-04-2025

'Why did he die so young?' a character in Varun Grover's Superboys of Malegaon asks as she watches Bruce Lee pack solid punches on the big screen. In response, Adarsh Gourav's character, an amateur filmmaker, looks at the screen and, in a very matter-of-fact way, says, 'He is not dead. Just watch! See how he is kicking.'
Watching this scene freshens up the memory of Irrfan — an artist whose presence his fans and loved ones continue to feel with every film they rewatch. They find him alive and kicking on screen, and for a fleeting moment, it feels as though he is still here, sharing life with them.
Irrfan had an unparalleled ability to be personally present with each member of the audience, simply through the sheer conviction of his performances. Even five years after his passing, his films still evoke the same intimacy and connection. Though a deeply private person, some of Irrfan 's associations in the Hindi film industry lasted a lifetime. Many of his close collaborators, too, found it difficult to imagine cinema without him. Here's how they shared memories of the late actor:
Baap re baap Irrfan kya cheez hai: Tigmanshu Dhulia
The audience first began to recognize Irrfan Khan through his work in Tigmanshu Dhulia's films like Paan Singh Tomar and Haasil. Tigmanshu and Irrfan's association dates back to their days at the National School of Drama (NSD), where Irrfan was two years senior to him. They formed a bond over their shared love for classic films. The filmmaker once recalled that Irrfan wasn't a particularly good actor during the early days at NSD. However, with time, he honed his craft and stunned everyone with his performances in plays. In an earlier interview, Tigmanshu said, 'Irrfan wasn't a good actor in his class when I met him but after one or two plays, they realised baap re baap ye kya cheez hai. I also saw Irrfan as the best actor and he never let me down in this department.'
In a conversation with Mukesh Chhabra, Tigmanshu further shared how Irrfan's unique way of looking at life made him a truly great actor. He said, 'Irrfan could do anything except dancing. He understood life and he saw life through a positive lens. You can't be lifeless when you are an actor and he was full of life. That's why he was a live actor. He did magic on screen and people believed in that magic. Because he was able to do this, he had a connection with the audience. He had a purity inside as a human being and that's why he achieved this.'
Bring Irrfan back, it's tough to survive without him: Shoojit Sircar
Director Shoojit Sircar and Irrfan Khan's professional collaboration was limited, with Irrfan starring in Shoojit's much-loved film Piku. However, their bond went far deeper than just their work together. Shoojit was among the few people who frequently visited Irrfan during his cancer treatment. During those visits, Irrfan often confided in him, sharing his innermost thoughts about spirituality and life. The two would even meditate together. Shoojit recalled how Irrfan 'fought hard' against cancer and how his passing left a profound void in his life.
Speaking on Unfiltered with Samdish, Shoojit said, 'It's difficult to find such a genuine man in the film industry. He had a different kind of humanism. He still had that sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face.'
Shoojit also revealed that after working with Irrfan in Piku, he couldn't imagine collaborating with anyone else. He had even envisioned casting Irrfan in his next film, Sardar Udham. 'After I worked with him once, I thought now I will only work with him. Main toh bol raha hoon usko laa de wapas, usko leke aao (I am saying bring him back). Irrfan should come back. Uske bina mushkil hai, survive karna (It's tough to survive without him). I miss him in every film now, every film that I do. There was something Godliness about him.'
I wished that when I was Irrfan's age, I had been that good: Naseeruddin Shah
During his theatre days, Irrfan Khan looked up to Naseeruddin Shah as his inspiration, striving to imbibe Shah's craft into every performance. Over time, the admiration became mutual. After working with Irrfan in Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool, Naseeruddin Shah found himself in awe of the younger actor. Following Irrfan's passing, Naseeruddin penned a heartfelt tribute, admitting that while a young Irrfan once tried to emulate him, it was he who ultimately envied Irrfan's brilliance.
He wrote, 'I wished that when I was his age, I had been that good. I really admired him in an unqualified manner. I don't think there is another actor I admired as much as I admired Irrfan. But that was not just because of his acting. He was also a gentle, affectionate and generous man.'
Reflecting on what made Irrfan's performances so remarkable, Naseeruddin wrote, 'When you watched him act, you felt as if you could read his mind. He never made an effort to reach you. This is a strange paradox about Irrfan as an actor. An actor always makes efforts to reach out to his audience. Irrfan knew the audience would reach out to him.'
Irrfan was always alive: Mira Nair
Mira Nair was the first filmmaker to give Irrfan Khan his break in films with Salaam Bombay! (1988), but she was also the first to break his heart when she had to cut down his role. Irrfan was devastated when he realised that his extended part had been reduced to a tiny scene, and he cried over the setback. However, Mira later made it up to him by offering him a career-defining role in her 2006 film The Namesake.
After his passing, Mira spoke fondly of the actor, saying, 'To speak of Irrfan Khan in the past tense is virtually impossible because Irrfan was always alive. He was alive to life, whimsy, and friendship, alive to the street child. Irrfan was one of the most beautiful listeners I have ever known. He listened beautifully and harnessed it into his art.'
Irrfan is the coolest guy in the room: Tom Hanks
Who could possibly intimidate Hollywood's two-time Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks? The answer is Irrfan Khan. The actor — whose body of work in the West remains arguably the finest by any Indian artiste — left Tom Hanks in awe during the making of their 2016 film Inferno. Speaking at one of the film's promotional events, Tom had said, 'Here's what I hate about Irrfan KhanI always think I'm the coolest guy in the room, and everybody's hanging on to every word I say and everybody's a little intimidated to be in my presence. And then Irrfan Khan walks into the room. And he's the coolest guy in the room.'
While Irrfan performed quietly and effortlessly in the film, Tom couldn't help but take acting notes from him. He recalled telling Irrfan, 'As soon as I walked up to him I said, 'Irrfan Khan, I'm going to steal from you everything I possibly can. I'm going to start speaking very quietly in films. I'm going to wear very nice suits. And I will draw out the last sound of every sentence that I say.' And by doing that, I will be doing a very pale imitation of the coolest guy in the room.'
A part of me has died with him: Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj and Irrfan Khan shared a deep bond. They worked in films like Maqbool, Haider, and 7 Khoon Maaf. During Irrfan's last days, the two stayed closely connected, with Irrfan often sending Vishal recordings of himself singing lullabies to cope with his pain. ' Ab aapko meri acting ke saath mera gaana bhi sunna padega (Along with my acting, you'll have to listen to my singing as well),' Irrfan would tell Vishal. The filmmaker even wrote a script around Irrfan and sent it to him in order to stay connected.
After Irrfan's passing, Vishal was devastated. He wrote on social media, 'I feared that he would be gone much before his time but didn't expect that it would be so devastating and ravaging to me personally. It feels as if I am torn into two parts. A part of me has died with him.' Talking about the void Irrfan left behind, Vishal told Pinkvilla, 'You miss Irrfan in every film. Every film I see, I make, when I see good cinema I miss Irrfan. That is the biggest loss, personal loss to me, and I think for the whole industry.'