“I Used to think Who is this Stupid Irrfan...": Recalls Actor-Director Bobby Parvez

Your Respect and Love for Irrfan Khan will grow Ten Times after you Read What he Did for Struggling Actors...

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Priyanka Chauhan

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Irrfan Khan Speaking
The Financial Express

Irrfan Khan's sudden demise came as a huge shock for the whole world. While all his well wishers across the globe were praying for his speedy recovery and were expecting him to bounce back healthier than before, he just left for heavenly abode. No intimation nothing, he just left.

Many people, and when we say many means lakhs of people across the globe were his fans and they all posted that his demise felt like a personal loss, even we felt the same. Sharing from personal experience, my hands were trembling while filing the story of his demise! That's the kind of human being he was, very down to earth, kind, generous and always ready to help everyone and just a pure soul.

Accounts by several people revealed how grounded a man he was, despite being a successful and revered actor. That’s probably the reason why he wasn’t seen like an other-worldly figure. Instead, people saw him as someone of their own.

Now, according to a report by News18, actor-director Bobby Parvez took to Facebook to share a beautiful memory he has of Irrfan Khan and we are sure after reading it, your love and respect for Irrfan will grow ten-folds.

It was set in a time when not many people had mobile phones. Hence, struggling actors in Mumbai (then Bombay) had to leave e phone number written behind their pictures to directors hoping for a callback.

It was almost twenty years back. I’d just gone to Bombay and was working as an assistant director. That was the time of no mobile phones or even if there were, they were prohibitively expensive. Hundreds of actors used to come and they all used to give, on back of their photos, a home telephone number and a reference name. One number hundreds of actors used to give, and that was Irrfan’s or Sutapa’s, his wife.

- Bobby Parvez

Irrfan Khan and his wife Sutapa ended up getting a ton of calls for callbacks. Irrfan would allegedly pick up the calls and “meticulously” take down the particulars of actors and which offices they were called to.

I used to think who is this stupid Irrfan who takes messages for everyone! And mind you, he must have been receiving messages from tens of offices. One person was supposed to call him at night and he would pass on all the messages to him who would subsequently pass it along. And he did it for years till possibly mobiles became common. That was my first impression of Irrfan...

- Bobby Parvez

Parvez also went on to mention what a die-hard cricket fan and a “passionate” cricketer Irrfan was who always appreciated a fair game.

We, all of us actors, are still in unadulterated awe of his craft. He is the best. Irrfan, there would be nobody like you.

- Bobby Parvez

In addition to his legacy of beautiful films, let us all remember Irrfan Khan for his kindness, love, and empathy! Read Bobby's full message below:

It was almost twenty years back , I'd just gone to Bombay and was working as an assistant director. That was the time of no mobile phones or even if they were they were prohibitively expensive. Tens of hundreds of actors used to come from Delhi and they all , mark my words , hundreds of them used to give on back of their photos a home telephone number and a reference name. It was the same number hundreds of actors gave and That name was Irrfan or Sutapa his wife. I was supposed to call at a particular time and Irrfan would pick up the phone and meticulously take down the particulars of which actor was called in which office. I used to think who is this stupid Irrfan who takes messages for everyone. And mind you he must have been receiving messages from tens of offices. One person was supposed to call him in the night and he would pass on all the messages to him who would subsequently pass it along. And he did it for years till possibly mobiles became common. That was my first impression of Irrfan. Subsequently we met on a cricket field a few times and I bowled him out a few times. A passionate cricketer as he was he was dejected but being a gentleman he was he always appreciated a fair game. One day on the field he told me he'd seen my work and called me for tea at his house. Probably the greatest compliment I've received from probably the best contemporary Indian actor. We , all of us actors , are still in unadulterated awe of his craft.if you want to see one scene that would describe his genius go see namesake when he calls tabu and he instinctively knows the end is near. Only he could do it the way he conveyed that without actually saying it. Go and see that scene. Simply said , he is the best. Irrfan there would be nobody like you. Do look up at the night sky tonight. The brightest star of them all will be up there. Shining bright for ever and ever.

- Bobby Parvez
https://www.facebook.com/parvezbobby/posts/10221000021806000

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