‘Irrfan Khan was on antibiotics, unable to get some chemo sessions’, says Angrezi Medium cinematographer Anil Mehta

Actor Irrfan Khan worked with Anil Mehta on former’s final film Angrezi Medium. Anil says the actor was unable to get his chemo sessions as he was on antibiotics due to the infection.

Filmmaker and cinematographer Anil Mehta has expressed sorrow over the death of actor Irrfan Khan. Anil worked with Irrfan on his last film, Angrezi Medium, which released last month.

Irrfan Khan was a part of Anil Mehta’s directorial Aaja Nachle as well.

Speaking with SpotBoye, Anil revealed how Irrfan worked on the film despite being unwell. “He used to go to the hospital and we used to hear all that. However, I never personally spoke to him about it. But yes, I did speak to his wife Sutapa and she explained to me about his struggle,” he said. “She told me about his chemotherapy and how because of the infection which he had developed, he had been put on antibiotics and consequently, they were unable to do some chemo sessions. So sad,” he added.

Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. He received treatment for it in London for almost a year and returned to India to shoot for Homi Adajania’s Angrezi Medium. The team also shot for the film in London, where Irrfan was still getting treatment.

“We finished shooting for the film in London and he stayed back for a while to get more treatment. He returned to India only after that treatment was over,” Anil said and added that Irrfan also had a small role in his film Aaja Nachle which starred Madhuri Dixit in the lead.

Actor Irrfan Khan died at the age of 53 on Wednesday, after being admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital where he was under observation for colon infection.

Irrfan, one of India’s finest and most versatile actors, is survived by his wife Sutapa and his sons Babil and Ayaan. The actor was buried at the Versova graveyard around 3 pm in the presence of his family and friends such as directors Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Bhardwaj. The numbers were restricted in view of the nationwide lockdown.

The Maqbool actor had lost his mother, 95-year-old Saeeda Begum, in Jaipur just four days ago and could not attend the funeral because of the lockdown.

Follow @htshowbiz for more