A deeply personal post by Babil Khan has brought back a tender memory from Irrfan Khan’s difficult cancer journey. The actor is remembered for quietly caring for his wife even while battling severe illness himself.
Image Source: Instagram
A quiet set of Instagram images has reopened a deeply emotional window into the Irrfan Khan family’s private world. This time, it’s Babil Khan who has shared it, not as an actor, but as a son remembering moments that were never meant for public view.
On Thursday, Babil Khan posted a series of home photographs on Instagram showing a soft, intimate moment between Irrfan and his wife, Sutapa Sikdar. In the images, Irrfan is seen gently tending to Sutapa’s feet while she rests.
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In his caption, Babil shared a memory from the hardest phase of his father’s cancer journey. He revealed that during Irrfan’s severe illness, Sutapa developed painful corns on her feet while constantly looking after him.
Instead of ignoring it or seeking outside help, Irrfan himself would treat her at home.
Babil wrote that his father used to tie his phone to his head like a makeshift torch so he could see clearly while helping her. He described it in a simple, emotional line: “During baba’s most unbearable peak cancer period, mamma used to get corns on her feet… So Baba used to tie his phone to his head as a light source and operate on her corns.”
Irrfan Khan first revealed in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. He travelled to the UK for treatment and continued medical care for about a year before returning to India in February 2019.
His health declined again. And on 28 April 2020 he was admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for a colon infection. He passed away the next day at the age of 53.
Just four days before his death, tragedy had already struck the family. His mother, Saeeda Begum, aged 93, had died in Jaipur.
After his passing, tributes poured in from film personalities and writers across the world. Everyone mourned the loss of a rare talent. Irrfan was later laid to rest at Versova Kabristan in Mumbai, with his last rites performed by his sons.
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