Actor Irrfan Khan was a unique talent who broke class, caste and religious barriers to reach out to people and make a space for himself in their hearts through his distinct and alive acting style.
This is why, his passing away feels like a personal tragedy for his fans across the globe.
Irrfan, known for "The Warrior", "Maqbool", "Paan Singh Tomar", "The Namesake", passed away on Wednesday after losing his battle with a rare form of cancer at the age of 54.
I met Irrfan in my third year at National School of Drama (NSD). We soon became friends and remained friends till his death.
Irrfan was known in his friend circles as a Sufi-esque man who was never detached from any incident, person or situation. On the contrary, he would try to live through whatever he was confronted with, often seeking out the meaning behind the same.
He was someone who believed in drawing the reality of the man and community through his portrayals.
When one would ask him about his process of picking up his projects, he would thoughtfully say, "A film with a tight structure and characters that are both interesting and highlight the complexities of the society."
"This was the first step towards falling in love with acting. Looking at Brando I felt as if there was electricity in the air around him. There was an energy which made it possible for him to touch the heart of the audience."