 - Irrfan Khan's.webp)
He had played an all-rounder in his team in Jaipur.
"I suppose... in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go."
You know what truly set Irrfan apart from others? No, I'm not talking about the sheer brilliance that he possessed as an actor or the effortlessness with which he delivered so many amazing performances. It's that he was beyond the boundaries of conventional stardom. Cinephiles across the world didn't just admire him; they literally considered him as one of their own. And it's exactly why his untimely demise (on April 29, 2020) felt like a personal loss.
The legacy Irrfan left behind continues to leave one and all in awe. Be it 'Maqbool', 'The Namesake', 'Life in a... Metro', 'Paan Singh Tomar', 'The Lunchbox', 'Piku', 'Talvar', 'Life of Pi', 'Haider', or 'Life of Pi' - each of his performances is a masterclass of acting. In his career spanning over three decades, he earned numerous accolades, including a National Film Award, an Asian Film Award, and six Filmfare Awards.
"... he has an instinctive way of finding the 'moral center' of any character," said Danny Boyle about Irrfan.
Today marks the fourth death anniversary of the legendary actor. So, we share an interesting fact about him that you probably didn't know.
Yes, you read it right! While growing up, he was extremely passionate about cricket and even dreamt of becoming a professional cricketer. However, he had to drop the idea due to financial constraints and went on to become an actor instead.
In his own words, "I wanted to become a cricketer. I was an all-rounder and the youngest one in my team in Jaipur. I wanted to make a career out of it. I was selected for the CK Nayudu tournament I think and then I needed money and didn’t know who to ask. That day I decided I cannot pursue it."
"I was an all-rounder. I loved batting more. My captain liked my bowling, so he made me a bowler. Don't know what prompted him to make that decision but he used to tell me, 'Throw a nice one', and I used to just throw and somehow used to get a couple of wickets."
"The situation in my house was such that I had to lie to go to play and made excuses when asked where we were so it wasn't encouraged to have a career in sports. So when I was selected and the team was to go from Jaipur to Ajmer and required some money. And that I couldn't arrange. So that day I realized that I couldn't pursue this," he added.
(Credit: irrfan)
He further said in another interview, "I couldn’t have asked for Rs 600 at that time. I needed Rs 300 for the National School of Drama, which was difficult for me. My sister finally got it for me. Giving up cricket was a conscious decision. There are only 11 players in the whole country. Actors mein koi limit nahin hai! There is no age limit in acting… jitna mehnat karoge...You yourself are your own weapon."
After Irrfan passed away, his childhood friend Bharat Bhatnagar revealed several aspects of his cricket career. "It was the period around 1984-85, and he used to play with us at the 11-star cricket club. Every evening from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm, we used to practice at the erstwhile Ayurvedic College of Jaipur (now known as National Institute of Ayurveda) which was right opposite my home. Irrfan used to stay at his house which was called ‘Saeeda Mazil’ near Subhas Chowk, around 10 minutes away from the ground."
(Credit: irrfan)
"Irrfan might have become a good cricketer if he had received more backing from his family, but destiny had planned something else for him," he added.
