Irrfan Khan in a still from The Lunchbox (courtesy filmy.films)
Highlights
- Irrfan Khan died at the age of 53
- "Just to talk about him in past tense is crazy," Nimrat Kaur told PTI
- "I can't believe it," she added
Nimrat Kaur, who shared screen space with Irrfan Khan in Ritesh Batra's critically-acclaimed feature The Lunchbox, remembers the actor as a keen observer of life whose mere presence was enough for a frame.
The 53-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon.
Nimrat recalled that throughout the making of the 2013 film, she didn't get much opportunity to interact with Irrfan but got to know him during the promotions.
"We didn't really cross paths more than a couple of times when we were shooting for The Lunchbox. But I got time to spend with him during promotions and when the film had released at Cannes Film festival and had premiered there," Nimrat told PTI.
"He was deeply rooted as a human being and was a keen observer of life and nothing missed eyes, he had a razor sharp wit. He was a perfect vessel as an actor where he would come and with him being the vehicle, the story goes forward, which is why it was an Irrfan khan performance. He got so much gravity and life even by being in a frame, he didn't have to say anything, his eyes were... You learn so much just by watching him," she added.
The 38-year-old actress said Irrfan's demise is a "personal loss" to her and she hasn't been able to come interms with it.
"It is a personal loss for everyone and anyone, who loved his movies, loved him as an audience or who interviewed him or had met him. It is a moment in time which is defined by the reaction that is coming in. That's when you know how much an actor is loved and adored and will be missed."
Nimrat further said that the Indian cinema will not be "the same without Irrfan".
"Every other film is on one side and Irrfan Khan's movie is on another, it had a different intrigue, you knew you were in for something unexpected. It is the biggest blow that you can think of for our country. Just to talk about him in past tense is crazy. I can't believe it."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)