Irrfan Khan Tells Why Shashi Kapoor Will Always Have A Special Place In His Hearth

Your movement towards  the West was actually started by Shashi Kapoor. Your  thoughts  on  his  passing away?

Shashiji always had a special place in my heart .When I was young I always admired his feather like presence on screen.Light breezy charming entertaining  and over the years he fascinated me with his choices ..choice to do great films as a producer .

Shashi Kapoor was also attached to theatre?

Yes,his attachment to Prithvi Theatre  was I think, the most amazing dedication to actors and acting. For me its like his  Taj Mahal for his wife Jennifer.

Did you ever meet Shashi Kapoor?

Long ago  I remember meeting him at the  Morocco film festival, he called , “Hey you come here  and ruffling my hair said, ‘Do you remember we have acted in a pilot together? ‘ I just couldn’t remember and was so embarrassed.  A number of pilots were made  at that time which never got released as series beyond the pilot, I was so impressed  with Shashiji’s  memory.

Later he couldn’t remember people and incidents?

Yes, I realized that. And many years  down the lane I meet him  again accompanied by his son Kunal .We were in the same flight both of us going for the President’s awards . I sat near his feet ,held his hands .He shook my hands while looking at Kunal with blank eyes trying to ask who was I?  that’s life.He was special and always be special in our hearts.