Irrfan Khan’s passing in 2020 left a lasting void in the hearts of his fans and colleagues. Even today, many who worked alongside him recall his warmth, humility, and brilliance as an actor. In a recent interview, Nawazuddin Siddiqui spoke about his relationship with the late star, laughing off rumors of any disagreement during the filming of ‘The Lunchbox.’ He said he had always seen Irrfan as an elder brother and mentioned that they had shared the screen in nearly seven to eight films together.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui on rumors of a tiff
During an interview with Hindi Rush, Nawazuddin addressed the “rumors of a tiff” between him and Irrfan Khan. Clarifying the matter, he said, “That was just the news. I don’t think everything reported in the news is the truth.” He then added, “Our film couldn’t afford this. We were making the film on a very tight budget, so we couldn’t spend time on such useless things.”
A long-standing association
Talking about his connection with Irrfan, Nawazuddin recalled that the late actor had been his senior at the National School of Drama, and their bond went back many years. “I think I did the maximum number of films with him. We did some 7-8 films with each other, and out of that, 3-4 films didn’t even release,” he shared. Their collaboration began in 2002, and Nawazuddin continued to stand by Irrfan even as he prepared for international projects. “Even when he was preparing for his Hollywood films, I would be with him all the time. Like, for instance, I would play his co-actor to give him cues. So he has always had a big role. His aashirvaad (blessing) has always been there. I saw him as an older brother,” he said fondly.
Shamas Siddiqui’s take on the tension
Earlier, in an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Shamas Siddiqui, the brother of Nawazuddin Siddiqui, revealed that things weren’t entirely smooth between Nawazuddin and Irrfan Khan during the filming of ‘The Lunchbox.’ “Both, Nawaz and Irrfan, used to say that they would walk into the set if and only if the other one was present,” he shared. He further remarked, “I think such a thing happens in movies when both the actors are of such high stature.” Shamas hinted that on set, neither actor was keen to wait around for the other before starting work.
Their films together
Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui teamed up for the much-admired film ‘The Lunchbox,’ which also starred Nimrat Kaur. Before that, the two had appeared together in movies like ‘New York’ and ‘Paan Singh Tomar,’ where Irrfan took on the lead roles while Nawazuddin played smaller parts.
