Sanjay Dutt with Irrfan Khan. (Image courtesy: babil.i.khan)

New Delhi:

Irrfan Khan’s son Babil on Thursday revealed that Sanjay Dutt was among the first actors from the film industry to offer help to Irrfan and his family after the Blackmail actor was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour and later, when he died. Babil shared a black-and-white picture of Irrfan Khan and Sanjay Dutt (they co-starred in Knock Out) and wrote: “Sanju Bhai was one of the first people to offer help in all and every way when my father was diagnosed and after Baba passed. Sanju bhai was again one of the very first few people that held a pillar for support.” Sanjay Dutt recently announced that he is taking a break from work for “some medical treatment,” speaking of which, Babil wrote, “Let Sanjay Dutt fight (his illness) without the anxiety of media.”

After Sanjay Dutt’s health announcement, several media reports stated he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Addressing the reports around Sanjay Dutt’s health, his wife Maanyata said in a statement: “Stop speculating the stage of his illness.”

In his Instagram post, Babil also wrote, “I humbly request journalists and human curiosity to ease on the speculation, the details. I know that’s your job but I also know that a sense of humanity persists in our soul, so give Sanju bhai and his family the existential space they need… Please; I beg you, let him fight this without anxiety of media, you must remember we’re talking about Sanju baba here, he is a tiger, a fighter, the past doesn’t define you but it sure does evolve you and I know this will be over with Sanju Baba smashing hits again.”

Here’s Babil’s post:

Writers must wonder ‘how do I start’, but I am not a writer so here it is; I humbly request journalists and human curiosity to ease on the speculation, the details. I know that’s your job but I also know that a sense of humanity persists in our soul, so give Sanju bhai and his family the existential space they need. Here’s a secret; Sanju Bhai was one of the first people to offer help in all and every way when my father was diagnosed, after Baba passed, Sanju bhai was again one of the very first few people that held a pillar for support. Please; I beg you, let him fight this without anxiety of media, you must remember we’re talking bout Sanju baba here, he is a tiger, a fighter, the past doesn’t define you but it sure does evolve you and I know this will be over with Sanju Baba smashing hits again.

A post shared by Babil (@babil.i.k) on Aug 19, 2020 at 4:59pm PDT

Irrfan Khan, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, died in Mumbai on April 29. Babil is the elder of Irrfan Khan and Sutapa Sikdar’s two sons. His younger brother is Ayan. Babil is studying films and he aspires to become an actor. He frequently shares posts in his father’s memory and about the lessons in filmmaking he gave.