'He Was a Tree': Rajshri Despande Pays Tribute to Irrfan Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput by Planting Saplings

Year 2020 has been a year of tragedies, particularly for the Bollywood, which lost some of its brightest stars in the last few months. Irrfan Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, Rishi Kapoor, choreographer Saroj Khan are some of the stalwarts who passed away. Amid all the tragedies, actor Rajshri Deshpande has found a novel way to remember the actors. She has planted trees in honour of actor Irrfan Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput.

It has been three months now that actor Irrfan Khan passed away after battling neuroendocrine tumor. But the legacy that the actor left behind has made him immortal with his unparalleled contribution to the Indian cinema.

Paying tributes to Khan, actress Rajshri Deshpande remembered the actor as a guiding light and mentor to many emerging actors. She shared an image of a tree being planted in the name of late actor and said, "He himself was a tree. A huge one, whose canopy of outstanding movies gave shade to thousands of cinema travellers like me. He taught us. he showed us the way. He opened many doors for actors like me. This one is for you, Sir. #Irrfankhan (sic)." Deshpande is an actor and activist and has worked in web series Sacred Games. She came to limelight for her role of Laxami in Pan Nalin's Angry Indian Goddesses.

Khan, known for bringing gravitas to Bollywood and essaying the ordinary aam aadmi with panache, was ailing since 2018 when he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. He passed away at the age of 53 in Mumbai and was laid to rest at the Versova cemetery. The actor is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and sons Babil and Ahan.

Sushant Singh Rajput's sudden death after he ended is life at hi Bandra residence in June took everyone by shock. The young actor was found hanging at his home. His death triggered debates on mental health and nepotism in Bollywood, with several bigwigs being questioned in connection with the case.