Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor: India’s tears spoke of the unity that once was

India lost two actors in rapid succession. Irrfan Khan, 53, the first real crossover actor we had, and Rishi Kapoor, 67, scion of the Kapoor family and the first “young” heartthrob in Hindu cinema, who later became an incredibly versatile actor in his second inning.

The loss during the coronavirus pandemic closure was severe. It felt totally personal, like losing a very dear member of the family.

In his death, the two actors managed to unite a frenzied and terrified nation of currently multiple divisions into a common pain. All of India was a fan of the two actors, both fallen from cancer, and we were united in our shared pain.

The outpouring of emotion from a nation drained by the coronavirus and divided in countless ways spoke of the unity that was once India.

And Irrfan Khan’s last words were magical: Khan asked people to be kind to each other; to make each other happy. I had the privilege of interviewing Khan, and even in the rushed noisy space of film promotions where consecutive interviews are the norm, he was different. Khan was thoughtful, extremely bright, and had a sparkle in his eyes every time he thought he understood the point he was trying to make. Those hooded eyes would sparkle and it would feel good to have made a connection with a person whose good opinion you valued.

The ease with which he inhabited his roles was almost like the way you put on an old, soft and comfortable shirt. Khan disappeared and only the character remained, communicating through a liquid gesture and those disturbing eyes: Maqbool, The Lunchbox, The Namesake, Haider, Life of Pi, Salaam Bombay and The warrior in no particular order

Khan loved acting and the camera loved him. When he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor two years ago, I remember feeling miserable and confident that he would conquer the disease. That he succumbed speaks of human frailty, which Khan showed over and over again, dissolving into his performances.

Memorably, Naseeruddin Shah, a brilliant actor himself, had once said about Khan that when he shared the performance space with him, he felt as if he were the Western classical music composer Antonio Salieri in the presence of the sublime genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Khan was effortless in life and in acting.

Equally easy was Kapoor: a good on-screen actor and a politically incorrect off-screen person. Being the son of Raj Kapoor, who launched into the super hit Cop Led by his father, Kapoor was extremely proud of his family and thorny towards the world. Kapoor had a sense of humor, saying about himself once: “Kapoors is known for his blue eyes and Black Label. I didn’t get blue eyes, but Black Label is part of me. “

He had a fairytale romance with his co-star Neetu Singh, whom he later married. The couple went through several difficult passages, and yet the love and understanding were palpable. Singh spent a year in New York with him during his battle with cancer. Her son Ranbir Kapoor, a superstar in her own right, and her daughter Riddhima (who lives in New Delhi and was unable to arrive in Mumbai for the funeral due to the confinement) took a beautiful family photo.

Kapoor had just taken over as an actor, saying the directors were finally giving him roles he was excited about and where he really pushed the envelope as an actor. Some of these movies include Mulk, D-day – where he co-starred with Irrfan – and Agneepath, where he made a chilling turn like a gangster. Kapoor was delighted that his acting skills were being stretched after years of playing a romantic hero in a sweater with the mandatory dance spin. And what a good dancer Kapoor was, especially with his girlfriend Neetu Singh in Khel Khel Mein, Doosra Aadmi and Kabhi Kabhie.

It made it seem so easy. Ranbir Kapoor once told me in an interview that although he was very private, his father was the exact opposite. “I’m scared of what he says on Twitter.” That was Rishi Kapoor – he didn’t comment on his views, he often got into hot water, and yet, as the proverbial hero, he always came out unscathed.

Miserable in the running of the bulls, I feel that the cinema, of which all the Indians are crazy, still has the potential to unite us. To show us that we can be better human beings. And learn to be kind to each other. Thanks for the movies Mr. Khan and Mr. Kapoor … we will miss him.