Irrfan Khan’s wife Sutapa Sikdar pens emotional note remembering him on his birthday
Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan would have been 54 years old on Thursday if he hadn't lost his battle with cancer last year. The actor succumbed to the disease after two years, leaving his family and fans in grief. On the actor's birthday anniversary, his wife Sutapa Sikdar penned an emotional note remembering him on her Facebook. Sikdar, who was married to Khan for 25 years, shared a note explaining why she used to celebrate the actor's birthday every year.
"You used to ask me when you were really young 'why would you celebrate your birthday. Isn’t it one year less to your death day?' Of course these were conversation when you had just ventured out from home from conditioning to exploration, so you would question everything. I don’t remember what I answered you but today I want to answer so listen Irrfan I celebrate the day because how would I have met you if you were not born."
"So I celebrate the day the nakshatras, the tithi, the grahas, the alignment of the universe on that particular day which welcomed you in this planet," she wrote.
Irrfan Khan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, a rare form of cancer that attacks various parts of the body. He was buried at the Versova graveyard and is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and sons Babil and Ayaan.
Taking to Instagram, Babil shared a heart-warming video of Khan trying to video call him, in the presence of Sikdar and Ayaan. He said though his father never encouraged him to remember the date, it's impossible for him to forget it this time.
"Perhaps, that is why I don't remember anyone's birthdays because you never remembered mine and never encouraged me to remember yours. It was just normal to us what seemed absurd from the outside, we celebrated everyday (bringing personal experiential authenticity to the cliche).
"On the occasion, Mamma would have to remind us both; but this time I could not forget yours if I tried.
It's your birthday Baba. Shoutout to all the technologically inept parents, notice that they did not finish saying that they miss me," Babil wrote in the caption.
Since Khan's death, Babil's Instagram handle has become a peek into the personal life of the famously private actor, serving as a memory bank for admirers who are yet come to terms with his death.
Khan, one of India's finest and most versatile actors with acclaimed performances in films such as "Maqbool", "The Namesake", "Paan Singh Tomar" and "Hindi Medium", died at a Mumbai hospital in April 2020, leaving his fans, peers and family in mourning.
-With PTI inputs
