(Irrfan Khan passed away at the age of 53 on Wednesday, 29 April. This story has been republished from The Quint's archives to mark the actor's death.)
Actor Irrfan Khan recently opened up about his battle with cancer saying that it’s “been a rollercoaster ride” for him and his family. “Happy moments were underlined because of the inherent uncertainty. We cried a little and laughed a lot,” he told Mumbai Mirror. The Angrezi Medium star acknowledged how his wife Sutapa has stood by him saying candidly,
“She is there 24/7. She has evolved in care-giving and if I get to live, I want to live for her. She is the reason for me to keep at it still.”Irrfan Khan, Actor
Irrfan took a hiatus from Bollywood and sought treatment in London after being diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. He said that his experience has made his less judgemental and made him reassess what really matters.
“I have gone through tremendous anxiety but have somehow managed to control it, then, let go. You are playing hopscotch all the time.”Irrfan Khan
He added that he has seen his sons grow during this experience in their own way. “And the best part is that I’ve had all the time literally to see them evolve. A crucial time for a teenager, like the younger one… The older one isn’t a teenager anymore.”
Irrfan will be seen next in Angrezi Medium, a sequel to his 2017 film Hindi Medium. Ahead of the release of the film, he sent out a special video message for fans explaining that his health issues would prevent him from being able to personally promote the film. “I wanted to promote this film with the same kind of love we made it with. But there are some unwanted guests resting in my body. I am speaking to them. If there’s any progress, I’ll let you know,” he said. Angrezi Medium has been directed by Homi Adajania and also stars Radhika Madan, Kareena Kapoor and Pankaj Tripathi. The film hits theatres on 20 March.
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