Irrfan Khan's untimely demise left everyone shocked, particularly the team of his last film, Angrezi Medium. While Radhika Madan, who played his daughter in the film, called him an inspiration for many, Deepak Dobriyal, who played his brother, shared how his demise is a personal loss to him. Even director Homi Adajania expressed how eternally grateful he is for walking a few steps of his journey with him.
Here's what they said:
Radhika Madan: I don't know what to say... my heart aches when I write this. He was one of the strongest people I knew, a fighter. And so are Sutapa ma'am, Babil and Ayan," says the actress and adds, "I am just grateful that our paths crossed in this lifetime. He is and will always be an inspiration to many. A legend. The man who changed the wave of the Indian film industry. May his soul rest in peace.
Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a photo with him on Instagram and wrote, "It was an absolute honour sir. Rest in peace."
Pankaj Tripathi: "Kabhi Kabhi bhavnao ko bata paana sambhav nahi hota. Wahi ho raha hai Irrfan da." (At times it becomes impossible to express how you are feeling, that's exactly what is happening with me Irrfan da.)
Homi Adajania: We laughed about you dying... in fact we often abused your "uninvited guests" .... but I didn't think I'd feel so fuckin broken when I heard what I was expecting to hear for a while now. I am eternally grateful for walking a few steps of your journey with you. I am eternally grateful that I could call myself your friend. I am eternally grateful for memories stuffed with so much joy, so much laughter in such little time. You once told me how you had an inexplicable love for your craft, but didn't want the stardom anymore. Well, you never needed to be a star my friend, because you shone brighter than anything in the universe. RIP #Irrfan
Dinesh Vijan, who produced Angrezi Medium shared: We are thankful for experiencing Irrfan's resilience and spirit. We're thankful for being allowed to witness his love and passion for everything around him. So yes, all I can say is thank you to him for letting us be a part of his journey. There is no one like Irrfan and I'm going to miss him very much. Rest in peace my friend. I know that he could spread his wings and soar only because he had his wife Sutupa as his rock. My heartfelt condolences to her and his sons. We are always there for them and I know that they know this.
Deepak Dobriyal: From making me understand the craft of acting to teaching me how to give genuine expressions on screen, he taught me and helped me a lot, like a big brother. His death is a personal loss. Despite being in pain, he duly fulfilled his professional commitments. He was not in pink of his health, so I always tried my best to make him smile during our shooting. I used to joke with him and he never felt bad. He always treated me like his chhota bhai (younger brother). It's hard to digest the news of his demise. We had even planned to work on 'Urdu Medium' or 'Chinese Medium'. Now it's dream which will never become true."
Angrezi Medium, primarily a father-daughter story, was one of the last films that released before the COVID-19 lockdown. Irrfan played a sweet shop owner and single father set to fulfil his daughter's dream to study in London. It ran in theatres for just a day since cinema halls across the country were shut the next day due to the pandemic and the film eventually premiered on Hotstar.