National School Of Drama Pays Tribute To Irrfan Khan Who Bagged His First Role On Campus
"Unke liye, cinema jo hai, usko woh neechi nazar se dekhte the. Unko lagta tha ki naachne-gaane walon ka kaam hai".
This is what Irrfan Khan had said about Aap Ki Adalat. The star lied to his parents about his decision to study at the prestigious National School of Drama.
"Ek toh meri maa ko jhooth bola. Maine kaha ki main actor banne nahi jaa raha hoon. Main acting seekhne jaa raha hoon, seekh ke main Jaipur University mein aaunga aur teacher ban jaunga."
Not only that, he?also lied to NSD staff.
¡°Aur phir NSD walon ko maine jhooth bola ki maine 10 naatak kiye hai aur cinema se mera koi lena dena nahi hai. Main naatak seekhunga aur phir naatak hi karunga bas. Yeh mere jhooth the. Lekin mere liye zaroori tha."
In 1986, director Mira Nair had paid visit to NSD to look for actors to cast in her film Salaam Bombay. She picked the 20-year-old Irrfan for a small role.?
Not only did NSD helped Irrfan make a career in the world of movies, but it also played a crucial roles in his love story with his wife Sutapa Sikdar.
Sutapa, who is a writer, was Irrfan's college-mate. The two fell in love during their college days and later tied the knot in 1995.
After Irrfan Khan's tragic demise, his alma Mater NSD paid tribute to him.
On the behalf of NSD family, Director-In-Charge Suresh Sharma tweeted, "The news of the demise of noted actor (alumnus NSD) Mr. Irrfan Khan is highly shocking. The NSD family pays a heartfelt tribute. Irrfan Bhai had contributed a lot to theatre. God bless the departed soul."
Vani Tripathi Tikoo, former BJP national secretary, who knew Irrfan Khan from his days at the NSD, also paid him a heartfelt tribute.
"I am totally inundated with memories, which go back to the late '90s. I remember the first time I had gone to Mumbai to perform in a German play at the Prithvi theatre. Irrfan came to watch the play with some more batchmates and they waited for me to finish backstage and come out. I was so taken aback because even at the NSD we were completely mesmerized by the persona of Irrfan. Not just as a senior theatre person, we looked up to him as an actor who taught us so much," she was quoted as saying by News 18.
"I have also had the privilege of working with him in a TV series when I moved to Mumbai. There's so much he taught me. Between speaking dialogues and having normal conversations with me, it was all so natural. Whether the camera was on or off, Irrfan was Irrfan. And I think that defines the great talent of Irrfan Khan, that you could not disassociate the natural quality. Whatever role he did, he became those people," she added.?
Indeed, it's a great loss for the industry.?
