‘The film would not have happened without him’ – When Sourav Ganguly was left awestruck by Irrfan Khan’s performance in ‘Piku’

Irrfan Khan might have embraced the heavens, but he was left a rich legacy behind with his impeccable performances in Indian cinema. In 2015, his character of ‘Rana’ in Piku, also featuring Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan, earned him the ‘Best Actor’ award on behalf of NDTV. Irrfan, who played the role of a taxi-company owner, caught Sourav Ganguly’s eyes as well.

Ganguly, the BCCI president, handed over the trophy to him and heaped praises on the veteran actor. Dada, as he is popularly known, didn’t mince any words in saying that no one deserved the award more than Irrfan, who passed away at the age of 53 due to a colon infection. Ganguly went down the memory lane and said how he was excited to hear about Piku’s shooting.

I went to meet Irfan in particular: Sourav Ganguly

“Part of the film was shot in Kolkata. It was with Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone! I went to see Irfan Bhai in particular. Irfan acted impeccably in ‘Piku’!” the 47-year-old Ganguly was quoted as saying during the award function.

“After hearing that Piku was being shot, we went to the set. I met Deepika. I met Mr. Bachchan. But I went to meet Irfan in particular. The film would not have happened without him. And I really did it. I’m not saying this because I’m handing over the trophy to him. Irfan Bhai is the only one who deserves this trophy,” Ganguly, who’s also a former Indian cricketer, stated.

In one part of the movie, the four of Amitabh, Irrfan, Deepika and a caretaker were seen travelling from Delhi to Kolkata via road. The famous Howrah Bridge in Kolkata also featured in the movie.

“The journey from Delhi to Kolkata in that car. Just before the Howrah Bridge, half of the picture happened. And the rest became more beautiful for Irfan. Because Irfan Bhai did a great job. I have seen many more of your pictures. You are the only one worthy of this award,” he added.

Prior to his acting career, Irfan had plans of becoming a cricketer. Though it somehow didn’t pan out, his journey on the silver-screen turned out to be an inspiration. He was also fond of the sixes Ganguly used to hit. “Yes, I am a big fan of the way Sourav hits sixes so easily. When he enters the field, my hair really stands on end,” Irrfan had said.

On April 29, Irrfan breathed his last, a day after being admitted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Mumbai. Reminiscing the moment when he gave Irrfan the award, Ganguly posted a video of the same with a heartfelt caption.

Here is Ganguly’s post