Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui, who has worked with Irrfan Khan and Sridevi in Bollywood films, recently appeared in a Pakistani TV Show, where he was put in an uncomfortable situation. During the show, the host cracked a distasteful joke about the death of the two late actors. Adnan, on the other hand, distanced himself from the controversy and released a statement about his reaction to the incident on his Twitter account.
Adnan’s wrote, “So I don’t know how to explain what I’m feeling right now or what to say. But this needs to go out. I was invited on the live chat show, ‘Jeewey Pakistan’ yesterday when this unfortunate incident happened. The anchor Amir Liaquat Sahab joked about something extremely sensitive. Not only were they both close to me but also as a human it was wrong on so many levels. I cannot even call it ‘hitting below the belt’.”
He added, “It was an extremely callous act to joke about the deceased. This is in very bad taste, not only does it show him and me but also the entire country in a bad light. I want to apologise to the families of Sridevi Sahiba and Irrfan Khan Sahab, their loved ones and fans, if you see my body language I was extremely uncomfortable with what he said but I didn’t want to stoop to that level. I regret being on the show. I’ve learnt my lesson and I promise I will not tolerate such an act in future. I was hoping this bit wouldn’t become public but unfortunately it has. I’m sorry. Thank you.”
The anchor cracked an insensitive joke by saying that Adnan Siddiqui saved the lives of Bipasha Basu and Rani Mukherji by not working with the two. Andan was offered to work in ‘Jism 2’ and ‘Mardaani 2’.
Further he added, “Bahar aap jiske saath kaam karte ho, wo chala jata hai (Actors with whom you have worked outside Pakistan have died).”
Sharing a picture in his Instagram account, Adnan wrote, “Disturbed and gutted!! A fine soul gone too soon. I had the honour of first meeting Irrfan as a co-star on the sets of ‘A Mighty Heart’. For one of the scenes after learning his lines I saw him doing the scene again and again which left me puzzled. I asked him, Irrfan Sahab ye kya kar rahe hain aap? He replied- We’re both playing CID agents which means we’ll be showing our ID cards everywhere. I’m practicing the scene so I don’t look clumsy while showing the ID card. And that was the first time I realized what a fine actor he was. We’d become friends on the sets and used to hand out together after the shoot.”
“I remember for another scene, he wanted to know a word in Urdu used commonly in Pakistan and he asked me. He was a great actor but didn’t shy away from learning and perfecting his art. One of the evenings, he shared an incident where he and his friend got the role of an extra actor in James Bond series “Octopussy” which was shot in India. But because they cycled to the set, they were late and the shoot was over. He told me since then he wanted to do a Hollywood movie. Our careers in Hollywood started together, but he proved his mettle and conquered the fort. In 2018, while attending IPPA in London, I found out that he was in London, though he wasn’t meeting anyone he agreed to meet me. We had a long chat about movies and world in general. He looked so positive. His last words were- “Adnan, I’ll be fine very soon and I’ll be back. InshAllah”! Who knew today, I would be penning this note. Condolences and strength to his family. Irrfan, you will be missed a lot. Rest in peace my friend,” the actor wrote.
Adnan had played the role of Sridevi’s husband Anand in the 2017 film, Mom. He was also a part of 2007 English language film, ‘A Mighty Heart’ with Irrfan Khan. The film was produced by Brad Pitt which starred Angelina Jolie in the female lead.
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