In 2010, when the late actor Irrfan bought a land parcel in a tiny hamlet in the lap of the scenic Sahyadri range in Igatpuri taluka of the Nashik district, very few people knew of him here. Irrfan’s farmhouse is in Hiruchiwadi, Igatpuri — where he helped the village grow and found a second family

A seating area with actor Irrfan’s portraits near the entrance to his farmhouse in Hiruchiwadi village, Igatpuri. The farmhouse’s gates have no locks. Some of Irrfan’s belongings, such as an award he won, and other décor items lie in the open. However, nobody touches his belongings

Sarpanch Ashok Pingle (left), along with his uncle Damu Pingle. Damu, a tailor, helped Irrfan with nearly all the drapery in his farmhouse. The Pingle family have been the caretakers of the farmhouse

Closest to his heart were the children of Hiruchiwadi. Bhavrao Bandu Bangar, the former headmaster of the primary school in the neighbouring village of Patryachawada, knew how big a star Irrfan was. However, his approximately 100 students had no idea who he was. Irrfan, along with his family, arrived at the school earlier than anyone else and waited for the students to come. He came with two cars full of school bags, stationery, sweets, and whatever he could get for the children from a nearby market in Nashik, Bangar says

A few years later, Irrfan visited the farmhouse again. By this time, the children knew he was unwell. Bangar told them to make bouquets and the students got to work immediately, and within a few hours, a hundred bouquets made from local flowers and leaves were ready. 

Irrfan had noticed the children walking to school with plastic sheets or nothing at all during heavy rains, and later sent two massive cartons for them in 2018. Even while he was receiving treatment in London for his illness, Bangar says, he remembered the children and the fact that the monsoons had begun, knowing they would need raincoats to go to school.

Eknath Pawar, a resident of the village received funds from Irrfan for the local Hanuman temple (in the background). He also did basic carpentry and construction work on Irrfan’s farmhouse, which earned him Rs 12 lakhs, an amount he believes would be impossible to earn in the village

Though he never formally adopted the village, during his time here, Irrfan touched lives across all domains. In picture, Irrfan and Babil (fourth from left), along with people from the village during one of his visits to Hiruchiwadi. Pic/Special arrangement

At the entrance of Irrfan’s farmhouse in Igatpuri, this epitaph is a tribute from his family, fans, and the village where he made his home away from home