Just Irrfan!

Varun Gupta is the founder-owner of Max Marketing and Innovations. He has been in the business of film marketing for nearly a decade, and has helped many a film achieve blockbuster status, including several Irrfan starrers.

We address people as ‘Bhai’ either out of sheer love and respect or absolute fear.Irrfan Sir or as many like to call him Irrfan ‘Bhai’, was one of the first actors who insisted on dropping his surname. The way people have reacted to his sad demise says a lot about the kind of love and respect he commanded among not just the people he knew on a personal level but also among those who saw him only through his craft.

I am one of those fortunate people who have worked with IrrfanSir for films like The Lunchbox, Jazbaa, Qarib Qarib Single and Angrezi Medium. I remember standing with him backstage on a dance reality show to promote The Lunchbox and he asked me very honestly andin an almost childlike manner, ‘Yaar, ek cheez  batao, yeh sab kyun karvate ho  mujhse, iss filmmein to nach gaana hai bhi nahi aur hum dance show mein aayehai, kucch faida hai kya in cheezo ka?‘  I was too junior at the that point in time to tell him my thoughts, so I just smiled and said, ‘Sir kya pata, kaunsi cheese kaha kaam aa jaye… kar let’s hai, 15 min kibaat hai.’

Cut to Jazbaa, in between one of his interviews he saw me browsing through some memes (which was a new concept at that time) and asked, ‘Yehdikhanazara.’ I started showing him all the memes on my phone; I thought he will laugh at a few. But after going through all of them seriously, he wondered, ‘Yeh banana ke paise milte hai logo ko? Innse picture chal jati hai??’ I just laughed out loud and said, ‘Nahi sir, picture tabhi chalti hai jab picture acchi hoti hai!!’

Then it was QaribQarib Single where I finally met the entire family as SutapaMa’am (Sir’s Wife) was one of the producers. We had several marathon meetings discussing how we should pitch this as a love story Irrfan-style and he wondered aloud, “My style of love?’ Looking at his wife, he continued, ‘Bhai, even I am not aware what is my style! Mera style hero kanahi ek maamuli aadmi jaisa hai!!’ I guess that’s why he connected so well with all of us because we saw US in HIM!!

Thank you Irrfan Sir, thank you for reinforcing that ‘Saaf Neeyat aur Mehnat Se Sab Kucch ‘Haasil’ Hai!!

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