Irrfan left a deep void in the hearts of his fans, family members and friends as he left the world in April 2020. Irrfan passed away on April 29, 2020, in Mumbai after a two-year-long battle with neuroendocrine tumour. He was also diagnosed with colon infection.
Today on his 55th birth anniversary, Irrfan's actor-friend Imran Hasnee, in an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon, shared how the actor never liked any 'tamasha' on his birthdays and always believed in having silent celebrations.
Excerpts from the interview:
What did birthdays mean to Irrfan?
He didn’t believe in celebrating birthdays and all. It wasn’t like his birthday has come so there’ll be drama & he’ll cut the cake and all. He never did that, even I don’t do all this. This was a common thing we shared. He didn’t even want to remember his own birthday but people used to remind him.
Actors usually enjoy media attention on birthdays but Irrfan stayed away from that. Why?
He never did loud celebrations for his birthday or any other occasion. Even for his hit films, he never indulged in loud celebrations. He used to have his own way of celebrating his big day. He used to silently celebrate with his close ones. He never made a tamasha of his birthday or thought of selling it or making it an occasion. Giving media interviews, inviting people over, cutting cakes - these are some things he never did. This was his strong point to stay away from such things.
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How did you use to wish him every year?
We knew that he didn’t like celebrations and all so I used to always send duas to him - that it’s your birthday today so may God give you success, happiness and good health. That’s how I wished him.
What’s your fondest memory of Irrfan?
My best memories with Irrfan have been at his Jaipur farmhouse. We used to spend a peaceful time there. A lot of things that we shared we common so our discussions used to be about philosophy, life, afterlife, universe and all.
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Irrfan had a never-give-up attitude. How did you look at it as?
His strength was his aura and energy. He never got panicky about anything. If his film wasn’t a hit, he never got tense or angry. His calmness was everything. He was very quiet and always dealt with everything very powerfully. When he used to be successful, he never partied. He never did that. He handled success with the same calm, the way he handled his defeat. This was his strength.
Now Irrfan’s son Babil is soon going to join the industry. Any advice for him?
Babil was the closest to his father. He knows his father’s strengths and weaknesses. He has to inculcate all the strength of his father and if he does that, he will become a very successful person. The mantra to success for Babil is to note Irrfan’s strength and just follow it.
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