Actor Irrfan Khan, who passed away on Wednesday, was at the peak of his popularity when he was invited to participate in a campaign for sustainable living spearheaded by his guru and theatre personality Prasanna in Badanavalu, a village on the outskirts of Mysuru, in April 2015.
Shedding the airs of a star, Mr. Khan, accompanied by his wife Sutapa Sikdar, turned up at Badanavalu on April 9 and spent the night on a mat on the floor of a dilapidated structure that had housed a thriving khadi centre almost 90 years ago, discussing with Mr. Prasanna and other like-minded people the challenges in creating awareness among the public about sustainable development in harmony with environment.
The actor firmly believed that living has to be in sync with nature. “Instead of migrating to ill-planned cities, villagers should stay put, pursuing their unique craftsmanship and derive pride in rural skills. All efforts should be made to make our villages self-sufficient,” he said, speaking his mind during an interaction with reporters.
After spending the night in Badanavalu, Mr. Khan had a frugal breakfast, seated on the floor, and bade his guru and his associates farewell. Before returning to Mumbai via Bengaluru, he Khan did not forget to call on his National School of Drama classmate Sumathi, who teaches at the College of Fine Arts in University of Mysore at her residence in Bogadi.
Ms. Sumathi, who had seen the actor from close quarters during their college days in New Delhi between 1984 and 1987, said Mr. Khan never gave up his simplicity despite reaching dizzying heights in filmdom. Both Irrfan and his wife Sutapa were part of a WhatsApp group of twelve NSD classmates that also included Sumathi, who is also a theatre personality along with her husband Janardhan, also known as Jenny, a former director of Rangayana. “Success never went to his head. When we told him he would become a celebrity, he would brush it aside saying he would remain the same Irrfan. He lived by it,” she recalled.
Despite the fame he earned, Mr. Khan remained committed to social values and causes to build an equitable society even in cinema. Citing his roles in Madaari, the 2016 thriller in which he as Nirmal exposes the corrupt administration, and Paan Singh Tomar, based on the true story of an athlete,
Ms. Sumathi said the actor would imbibe the character while playing the role. “There is not just a commercial element to his films. He was able to bring out the character on the screen only because he was motivated. He would connect with the character. He would not accept roles where the character did not have his commitment,” she said.
Keen on using cinema as a medium to convey social messages, Irrfan with the help of his wife Sutapa had recently set up his own production house Madaari. “Alas he died before he could play all the roles he had dreamt about”, she regretted.
His wife Sutapa, who was also their classmate, played a crucial role in Irrfan’s growth. “He was an introvert and saw his lack of proficiency in English language as a hurdle in making a foray in the filmworld. But, his wife stood by him and promoted him”, Ms Sumathi said.
