April 29, 2020 turned out to be one of the worst days for all. Irrfan Khan breathed his last on this day after putting up a brave fight against cancer. The actor left too soon for his heavenly abode leaving behind millions of mourners. The actor was close to very few in the industry and the list of his closest pals included filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj. As its the thirteenth day (tehravi) from the time Irrfan Khan passed way, the filmmaker penned a screenplay as an ode to his beloved friend.
In the long screenplay, Vishal Bhardwaj has narrated their journey as friends. From the time they met over a game of cricket to bid adieu to Irrfan Khan in the graveyard, Vishal Bhardwaj has given a heartfelt tribute to his friend. The two teamed up for several projects like Maqbool, Saat Khoon Maaf, Haider, Talvar and many others and they indeed made for the best actor-director duo in the industry. As he paid his last respects to Irrfan in the graveyard, Vishal Bhardwaj recalled the lullaby the late actor used to sing.
A part of the screenplay reads:
"Walking through the faces covered with masks and handkerchieves, I arrive in front of a room. A board hangs above it, it reads- “Yahan body ke nahaane ka intezaaN hai”. I notice the word ‘IntezaaM’ wrongly spelled here. This is the bathroom meant to bathe the bodies before burial. I step forward and enter inside. There is a platform in the room. He lies on top of it, tightly wrapped in a white shroud, his head turned towards me. I walk forward to face him. I am looking at his face endlessly. Time has stopped. I realize how heavy his eyelids are. A lullaby in Irrfan’s voice echoes in my head.
IRRFAN (V.O.) Aa ja ri nindo tu aa ja.. Ifu ki aankhon mein.. (Come dear sleep, come.. Settle into Ifu’s eyes..)"
The filmmaker has further recalled many scenes of Irrfan Khan from films like Haider and Maqbool. He has mentioned about the time when a small boy pelted a stone at Irrfan Khan's car in Kashmir while shooting for Haider and how the actor joked about it the next day. Vishal Bhardwaj has also shared about the times when he went to meet the actor in London. Irrfan Khan underwent his cancer treatment in London and as the two met in a park, Irrfan mentioned to him that he feels liberated.
"I feel so liberated Vishal Sahab. Aisa lagta hai jaise badan ke uppar se saikdon badan utar gaye hon..Rooh par kitne bojh lekar ghoomte hain hum log..Ek baar zindagi ki miyaad tay ho jaaye, to ik dhundh si chhat jaati hai aankhon se..Jaise baarish ke baad dhoop mein sab chamakne lagta hai na..Sab vaisa.. Nahaya dhoya sa ho jaata hai..(I feel so liberated Vishal Sahab. It seems like innumerable layers have finally left my body..We carry so much weight on our souls..When the length of your life is determined, then your vision becomes crystal clear..Like after a rainstorm, everything seems to shine in the sunlight..Everything seems cleansed and stands revealed.)"
Further, the filmmaker narrated how Irrfan mimicked the doctors when he came back to India from his treatment. Irrfan Khan made his cancer treatment sound so hilarious that Vishal Bhardwaj and Tabu fell off their seats laughing, states the filmmaker. (Also Read: Irrfan Khan’s Son Babil Khan Makes A Powerful Mother’s Day Wish For Mom Sutapa Along With UNSEEN Pics)
In the end, the filmmaker writes, "Back at the graveyard, the lullaby continues over the soundtrack as the grave is filled with soil. I wish I could edit out this scene from my life."
Image Source: Instagram/vishalbhardwaj