Irrfaniyat: New book on Irrfan Khan with personal essays by Nimrat Kaur, Manoj Bajpayee released

During the release of the film 'Hindi Medium', late actor Irrfan Khan sent a note to his friends in the media. Written in Hindi with a few words of English here and there, it conveyed how society applauds English speakers and puts down those communicating in Hindi.

A copy of that note was later shared by Hindi film critic Ajay Brahmatmaj on his Instagram earlier this year.  

Bollywood, India's leading film industry which produces films in the Hindi language doesn't usually follow up its patronizing for the language when it comes to publicity matters. Most articles, publicized interviews, autobiographies, or books on the life of actors or artists from the industry are brought out in English for their saleability factor, limiting its reach to a wider audience and fan following.

Irrfan Khan in Bollywood wasn't just an artist or an actor, but a sentiment shared by many of his followers. His sudden death due to cancer last year proved to be a loss to many within the industry and outside, one that his fans continue to cope with. In such times, a book that promises to give a peek into the late actor's life is a boon.

After the success of his first book 'Irrfan, Aur Kuch Panne Adhure Reh Gaye' released in 2020, the veteran film critic, is now out with a sequel of sorts. One of the highlights of the previous book was a letter penned by late Irrfan Khan to Ajay Brahmatmaj during his treatment in London.

Reacting to the release of Irrfaniyat, Bollywood actors Manoj Bajpayee, Shilpa Shukla, Vineet Kumar Singh, lyricist Dushyant took to Twitter to express their excitement.

The new collection of essays in Irrfaniyat have been penned by renowned actors like Nimrat Kaur, Manoj Bajpayee, Varun Grover, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, poet Vibha Rani, lyricist Dushyant and writer Salim Arif amongst others.