Setting up an acting institute in hometown Jaipur was Irrfan’s dream, says wife Sutapa

Additionally, he had aspirations of farming and producing organic crops, as shared by his wife, Sutapa, in an exclusive interview with IANS.

Jaipur: Irrfan Khan had a deep affection for his hometown Jaipur, and had long dreamed of establishing an acting institute there.

Additionally, he had aspirations of farming and producing organic crops, as shared by his wife, Sutapa, in an exclusive interview with IANS.

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She revealed that Irrfan owned a mango farm in Maharashtra and had plans to have similar fruit gardens in other locations.

Sutapa was in Jaipur to inaugurate the Irrfan Theatre Festival being organised in Jaipur from January 6 to 8.

When asked about his qualities, Sutapa described Irrfan as someone who never held grudges against anyone.

“He never spoke ill of anyone he worked with,” she said.

“He also never complained about anything.”

Irrfan was an avid reader and completed the 12 volumes of the Complete Works of Vivekananda, a gift from their friends during his final days.

He was deeply curious about his purpose in life and whether he was fulfilling it.

Sutapa further highlighted his spiritual nature, explaining that Irrfan had a close bond with Mahesh Bhatt, who introduced him to J. Krishnamurti, while other friends introduced him to Osho. Irrfan believed that all spiritual seekers shared a similar essence.

She also refuted any claims of the couple having struggled in life.

“We never had struggle days. We started with a bike, then upgraded to a Land Cruiser. We had fun on that bike! My office was in Lower Parel, Mumbai, and those bike rides were fantastic. We loved spending quality time, reading books and listening to poetry together,” she said.

“Poverty is never a struggle; the struggle is always in the mind.”

Sutapa also recalled how Irrfan had a remarkable way of telling stories that deeply touched people’s hearts.

He particularly enjoyed ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, a film that resonated with him. He believed in the concept of poetic justice and felt that the story was one that needed to be shared.

‘Maqbool’ was another film he thoroughly enjoyed.

Irrfan Khan passed away in April 2020 after a two-year battle with a neuroendocrine tumour.

He is survived by his wife Sutapa and their two sons, Babil and Ayan.

Babil is preparing for his acting debut with the Netflix original ‘Qala’ and will also be working on Shoojit Sircar’s upcoming film.