The year 2020 has been a very strange year so far. Of all the calamities that could befall mankind, no lay person could have thought that it could have come to this – that a virus could bring the world to its collective knees. As we wade through these unknown waters, struggling to stay afloat in a turbulent ocean with no relief in sight for a foreseeable future, we look to the world of arts and entertainment to divert our minds from the havoc wreaked by Coronavirus. Probably, that is why when we were greeted on two consecutive days by the news of the passing of two Bollywood greats, Indians all across the world felt like they had been punched in the gut.
In 2018, Irrfan Khan had shocked his fans by announcing that he had been diagnosed with an advanced case of a rare neuroendocrine cancer. “I had been in a different game,” he had said in a moving post, “I was travelling on a speedy train ride, had dreams, plans, aspirations, goals, was fully engaged in them. And suddenly someone taps on my shoulder and I turn to see. It’s the TC: “Your destination is about to come. Please get down.” I am confused: “No, no. My destination hasn’t come.” “No, this is it. This is how it is sometimes.” Poignant and gut-wrenching all at once, these simple words had succinctly described the journey that is life. Every moment that we take for granted is a moment waiting to upend all that we have ever known. On April 28, 2020, when the news of his death broke on news channels, it was as if we had lost one of our own. Here was an artiste who has made it big without having the traditional hero looks or a godfather to promote him in the industry. Here was an actor who had made a successful foray into Hollywood, whether distinguishing himself as the protagonist in Life of Pi or making his mark in blockbusters like Jurassic World or The Amazing Spider-man. And if anyone had ever asked me just how he could have convincingly played the love interest of leading ladies of the likes of Deepika Padukone or Konkona Sen Sharma, I would tell them to watch him smiling on the silver screen before asking again.
Barely had our shock set in when, on the very next day, another thespian also lost his battle with cancer. The actor with the boyish looks, the one over whom millions of women have swooned over the years, the one and only Rishi Kapoor passing away was every bit as sobering as the news of Irrfan Khan’s death. While movies like Bobby and Saagar had made Rishi Kapoor a household name, I will always remember his portrayal of the social reformer in Prem Rog, the menacing human trafficker in Agneepath or the well meaning middle class dad in Do Dooni Char. He came from an illustrious lineage but that had not been his only claim to fame. In a world dominated by brawny, alpha male heroes, he had etched his own place in the landscape of the Indian film industry. His had surely been a talent that would be sorely missed.
Today we are all helpless in the face of an unknown enemy. We are learning what it is like to lose control of our carefully crafted lives, to not know what will come our way the next day. In a way, the passing of these two celebrities underscores the ephemeral nature of life – here one day and gone the next. Nothing can change this – no matter if you are a star of the silver screen or a lay person working day in and day out at a 9-5 job. Maybe that is why these losses feel so personal because, at the end, all of us have the same fate waiting in the wings. All we can hope for is to leave behind a legacy to be cherished. These two thespians have done precisely that in their lifetimes and that is what will keep them alive in our hearts for year to come. The greatest tribute we can pay to them is to follow the path they have laid down and embrace our gifts to become the best versions of ourselves. Rest in peace, Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. We will miss you.
