When Irrfan Khan was my neighbour and stayed in a one room-kitchen house

It will be hard for you to believe but legendary actor and Indian cinema's icon Irrfan Khan was once my neighbour.

This dates back to the year 1992-1993, I was about 7 years old. Although I don't remember much, but I do vividly remember a few stories and incidents. Irrfan Khan lived with his family in a rented house on the fourth floor of Building No 15, B Wing in PMG Colony, Andheri East while we lived on the first floor.

The owner of the house - Chauhan family, was our acquaintance and had given them the accommodation on rent. Irrfan spent nearly one and a half years in small 180 square feet one-room kitchen house. In those days, even the society where we lived only knew of him as a struggling actor trying to make his luck work in movies. 

He never really interacted much with anyone but yes, he used to exchange a smile or two with children. And, soon he became their ', favourite uncle'. Once he gifted us a packet of balloons and the special part was that this packet was of red heart-shaped balloons, which probably is common nowadays but was not common back then.

And as children, this was perhaps the first time we had seen such balloons. Once, he got chocolates for all the kids. Being close to Film City and Kamal Amrohi Studios in Mumbai, perhaps many famous actors have lived in the same colony during their struggling days and Irrfan, too, like them, shifted from there to another place after being successful in movies.

Even after he left, whenever we all saw any of his films or advertisement, we would feel proud of him. 

Today, after hearing the news of his demise, old memories struck hard as I realised that 'our favourite uncle' is no more. While breaking the news of his body reaching the Versova Kabrastan for burial and last rites, a sense of sadness touched my heart as if I lost a part of myself.

May your soul rest in peace Irrfan sir!