Irrfan Khan: Hometown friends recall an actor without airs

Actor Irrfan Khan's death has left his friends stunned in Jaipur, city where he spent his childhood and was bitten by acting bug.

Haidar Ali Zaidi, a friend from schooldays, recalled how Khan idolised Mithun Chakraborty, telling him that he wanted a haircut like that of star. two went on to join Rajasthan University.

"In university days, our departments were different but we would to sit toger near university swimming pool. Some atre students used to perform re and seeing m, Irrfan himself plunged into atre and later emerged as an amazing actor, which we have unfortunately lost today", he said.

Irrfan Khan, 54, died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. actor was fighting a rare form of cancer with which he was diagsed in 2018.

"We spent our school, college and university life toger. He took a different path and I joined civil services, but our friendship continued", Zaidi said. "Whenever we met in Jaipur, we roamed streets where we spent our childhood days and would go to our favourite paanwala", he said.

"He became a big actor. Yet he was very down to earth, simple and sincere and re was t one change in his attitude", said Zaidi, who is w Bharatpur's Superintendent of Police.

Ravi Chaturvedi, who taught drama at Rajasthan University but met Irrfan Khan earlier, remembered his commitment towards acting.

"It was around 1980-81 when Irrfan got introduced to me. That young boy with extraordinary intensity had a strong desire to become a professional actor. He was desperate for admission to National School of Drama", Chaturvedi said.

He also recalled that Khan, who lived n in walled city's Subhash Chowk area, was fond of flying kites. Chaturvedi, who w runs his own atre group, said actor's far died after he joined NSD. Khan struggled for years in Jaipur, at NSD and n in Mumbai before achieving success, he said.

He described Khan as a simple person whose behaviour did t change with success. A couple of years ago, Khan told Chaturvedi that he wanted to do something for atre students in Jaipur. But n he fell ill. Sabir Khan, who also did atre in 1980s, said actor never changed after he tasted success.

"He loved to interact with atre and drama students for hours. He often visited my atre group and gave tips to students. He was such an amazing actor", he said.

Singer Ila Arun, who too hails from Jaipur, said Irrfan Khan was an extraordinary man.

"He was a man with a simple face and intensity in eyes. We have all seen that he had a fighter inside him. His demise is an irreparable loss", she said.