Saba Qamar who shared the screen with the late Irrfan Khan in the 2017 superhit Hindi Medium says that she is “deeply disturbed” to hear about the passing of her co-star.
Read more – Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passes away
“I still can’t absorb the news”, said the actor. “It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of Hindi Medium. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. It is indeed a huge loss to the cinema world.”
Sending her heartfelt condolences to Khan’s family, Saba ended her note using her character name from the film.
Similarly, Adnan Siddiqui who worked with Khan in the Hollywood film A Mighty Heart also penned an emotional note in memory of the actor and shared his experience of working with the actor. He shared that he learnt a lot from Irrfan and that the two became good friends. Adnan also opened up about his last meeting with Khan.
“In 2018 while attending IPPA in London. I found out that he was in London, though he wasn’t meeting anyone he agreed to meet me,” wrote Siddiqui. “We had a long chat about movies and the world in general. He looked so positive.”
“His last words were: “Adnan, I’ll be fine very soon and I’ll be back. InshAllah!”
Khan, whose international movie career included hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi and The Amazing Spider-Man was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. He spent most of 2018 and 2019 battling the disease in London. However, he was admitted to a Mumbai hospital earlier this week with a colon infection which ultimately took his life. He was 53.
“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him,” his publicist said in a statement. “Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, ‘As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it’.”
Other Pakistani actors who mourned the actor’s death include Mahira Khan, Imran Abbas, Zara Noor Abbas and Sajal Aly.
Read more – Sherry Rehman calls Irrfan Khan ‘one of Pakistan’s best’
Meanwhile, across the border, the entire Bollywood fraternity is mourning the loss of their loved one. From Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan to Sonakshi Sinha, everyone has expressed their grief over the actor’s death.