Irrfan was one of the rare talents: Chitrangda Singh, calls his death a big loss to the industry

Actor Chitrangda Singh woke up to the news of the sudden demise of critically acclaimed actor Irrfan and is still reeling under the shock. The actor says she is devastated by the loss of a friend and “one of the rare talents of the industry.”

“He has gone too soon,” says Singh,43, adding, “He is in my prayers and my condolences to the family and children.”

Irrfan, 53, who had been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, underwent treatment in London and returned to India in February 2019. His last film Angrezi Medium had released recently.  “Honestly, I really did think that he was coming out of his illness as he had completely recovered and came back home after his treatment. When his film released, I really thought that he was back,” Singh adds.

Talking about how Irrfan was as a co-star, the actor says he was a sheer delight and she also has thoroughly enjoyed his performances in films such as Paan Singh Tomar (2012), Haider (2014), Piku (2015), Qarib Qarib Singlle, Hindi Medium (both in 2017) among others.

“Whenever you would do a scene with him, you would have to be ready for something completely unexpected to come your way. You really had to be on your toes and that was very exciting for me,” she shares.

Taking a walk down the memory lane, the actor remembers a piece of advice that she received from the late actor while shooting the film. “He told me once, ‘zaroori nahi hai ki jisko dialogue bolna hai, usko dekh kar hi woh lines boli jaye. Aur tareeke dhundne chahiye line bolne ke’.I still keep that in my mind while performing. It makes you not do the most predictable thing in the scene,” she recalls.

Working with him was no less than a school of learning for Singh, who would observe him closely to understand his style of acting. “I would sit and watch his takes on the monitor. He would always look for something much more and used to try and find another layer to what was written on the script. He was brilliant and would always surprise you every time,” Singh recalls.

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