Director Tigmanshu Dhulia and late actor Irrfan Khan’s friendship went far beyond their work in films and television. The two had known each other since their National School of Drama days and remained close through the years. After Irrfan’s death on April 29, 2020, Tigmanshu has often spoken about the void left behind by his longtime friend. Tigmanshu recently revealed that the actor had saved his life many times.

“Irfan saved my life many times. Twice… actually, three times. See, I don’t know how to swim, but I’m attracted to water. I love water. I don’t know what attraction is there, it kind of draws me. And I’m not a swimmer,” Tigmanshu said.

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How Irrfan saved Tigmanshu at Versova Beach

Tigmanshu then recalled the time his directorial debut Haasil was announced to the media. For the filmmaker, it was a major milestone, and the celebrations that followed eventually took an unexpected turn.

“When Haasil was officially announced before journalists at a hotel, we had a celebration. I was so happy; it was my first film. Irrfan was in it too. We both got drunk and later went to Versova beach at night. Back then, the beach was open. I’m talking about 2001.”

The night could have ended in tragedy. Tigmanshu, under the influence of alcohol, walked into the sea without realising how far he had gone. Irrfan, who could swim, saved him.

“After drinking, I started shouting and walked towards the sea. I went deep into the water. Irrfan was drunk too, but he was a swimmer and realised what I was doing. I had gone mad with excitement because my film was finally being made. Then I fell into the water.”

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Irrfan reacted quickly and pulled his friend back to safety.

“He jumped in, pulled me out, and even slapped me twice. He said, What are you doing? You’ll die. At least make the film first.”

Irrfan came to Tigmanshu’s rescue again

According to Tigmanshu, the Versova incident was not an isolated one. Years later, while working on Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Part 2, he once again found himself in trouble after entering a lake.

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“Something similar happened during Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Part 2. There was a lake, and I walked into the water. I got trapped because there were weeds underneath. My driver was saying, ‘Sir’s gone, he’s gone.’ I could hear him saying it. Irrfan jumped in and pulled me back to safety.”

There was a third incident, too, this time during a river-rafting trip.

“Something similar happened while we were river rafting. I jumped into the water from the raft. He pulled me out from there as well. So Irrfan saved my life many times.”

Tigmanshu and Irrfan’s friendship began at NSD

The friendship between the two went back to their National School of Drama days. Tigmanshu joined NSD in 1986, when Irrfan was already in his third year. What began as a friendship during their formative years eventually became a lifelong personal and professional bond.

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The two worked together on the 1995 television serial Naya Daur. Irrfan later appeared in Tigmanshu’s directorial debut Haasil, followed by Paan Singh Tomar and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns.

Their families also became closely connected over the years. In journalist-author Shubhra Gupta’s book Irrfan: Life in Movies, Tigmanshu recalled how their children grew up together.

“We used to go out, roam in the jungles. We had our kids around the same time. Our wives got pregnant around the same time, and all our kids were born within a gap of a month or two. First Babil, then my daughter. Our kids even grew up together. Tenth, twelfth tak toh the kids even studied together.”

‘My growth has slowed down since Irrfan’s death’

Irrfan died in April 2020 after battling cancer. For Tigmanshu, the loss was not only personal but also creative. He has previously spoken about how much he relied on Irrfan’s perspective and friendship.

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“I do not have any friends now. He was the one who knew all my shortcomings and weaknesses. He knew all my plus and minus points. In front of him, I could just be myself. Now, when he has left us, it’s not an age when you make new friends,” he told .

Tigmanshu also acknowledged the impact Irrfan had on him as an artist. In an interview with PTI, he said, “As an artist, he would push me to grow more. My growth has slowed down since he has left us. That’s the biggest problem. He has left us, what can we do about it? But what do I do?”

Meanwhile, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s directorial film Ghamasaan is scheduled to premiere on ZEE5 on September 11. The film stars Arshad Warsi and Pratik Gandhi.