Death of an artist

April 29. I was engrossed in making a PPT for my next lecture when someone sent me this news on my WhatsApp. Irrfan was no more. It is not the first time that hoaxes were heard. False news of the death of actors has roamed the media multiple times. I was so hoping that this news turns out to be nothing but a rumour. I started browsing through my WhatsApp and the internet just to find myself heartbroken. It was not long before I had watched Hindi Medium and Angrezi Medium. I just had one question: Why?

A dialogue in Irrfan’s movie Piku goes like this: “What is so negative about death?” I have contemplated about this quite often. I have spoken to people about this. Somewhere I agree with the dialogue. If I do, then what hurts? I guess, the attachment does. Conventionally, it is our attachment, the age of the deceased, the way it happened, etc. usually hurts. I would go out on a limb and say, it explains how much hurt we are going to feel for the person. This depends from person to person.

Irrfan. I don’t really remember when I started liking and loving him as an actor. 5 years for sure because in the last five years, I have answered Irrfan’s name as an answer whenever I was asked about my favourite actor. I remember seeing his work in the movie Chocolate, Life of Pi, and Talvar. Talvar had literally made me a fan. The scene at the end when he argues with the other investigating officers: flawless!

I guess there are actors like Irrfan who tiptoe into your heart and that too, without you noticing it. Actors like Irrfan as a paragon of ‘Work hard, be kind and amazing things will happen.’ Irrfan made his mark in an era which was highly dominated nothing but glamour and unrealistic characters and storylines. I won’t deny that we were entertained and in awe of what we saw on screen. Regrettably, it filled out minds with concepts that are not the reality. Irrfan, on the other hand, always played the guy who could be spotted literally anywhere in our surroundings, even if not in entirety but some traits for sure. Just as you find characters from Shakespeare’s plays.

I know SRK’s birthday falls in November and even Big B’s do. I have no idea, even today, when is Irrfan’s date of birth. Well, his on-screen presence was the reason. We don’t know birthdays of everyone we know or meet. Irrfan was just that guy. Despite this, his demise feels unusually and exceedingly personal. Some actors, or artists I should say, just make a connection. It is their work that works wonders. The same is the story with Irrfan. His death also highlights the fact that we don’t really love and accept an artist because of his religion; Kalam being another example. After all, people like Irrfan and Kalam prove the quote by Maxime Lagacé, ‘Bring your humanity to your art. Bring your art to humanity.’

Irrfan Sir, your death feels personal and it is nearly impossible to accept that we will not see you on-screen with fresh pieces of art. You have gone away too soon! Rest in peace.