The demise of ace musician Farhad Humayun on Tuesday has left everyone in shock. He has left a void not only in the Pakistani industry, but Farhad left a mark on a global scale. Not many knew this but Bollywood actor Arjun Mathur, popularly known for his role in Made in Heaven, was a close friend of the singer and drummer.
In a sea of tributes and homages for the late musician, Arjun also shared an emotional post on Instagram which was filled with heartfelt memories of the two since their childhood.
“What does one say about a comet? Or a shooting-star? My first memories of Farhad Humayun, or ‘Fadi’, as I knew him, are from when I was just a toddler and my parents’ best-friends – Shahzad Uncle and Nivi Aunty – visited from Pakistan. We would wait for the parents to leave for their parties so we could hit ‘Excite-Bike’ on the 8-bit NES, or watch our favourite movies from the time.. ‘Jaanbaaz’ and ‘Veerana’, no less,” he wrote.
Read: Musician Farhad Humayun passes away
He went on to recall great times when his family visited Lahore.
“As a kid, when our family visited them in Lahore, I remember the largest Aloo-Parathas I had ever seen, at their home.. and the best post-swim chicken sandwiches at Lahore Gymkhana.”
Arjun also shared how the two went on to become ‘artists’ in their respective families, and how distance grew between them, despite being close friends, due to tensions between the two countries.
“As we grew up, Fadi and I, both turned out to be the ‘artists’ in our respective families. I saw him as my own reflection from across the border (so much so that we even had our weddings around the same time and were getting divorced from our short and brief marriages around the same time).”
“Fadi became a musician – a drummer par excellence, to be precise – and formed a fusion Pakistani rock band called ‘Overload’ that pounded hearts with their drum and traditional dhol beats and shredded heartstrings with their electric guitars and Fadi’s golden voice.”
“I watched him rise from strength to strength. He became a bonafide rockstar in Pakistan. As tensions between our countries grew and the mutual visits became less frequent due to bureaucratic and political processes, I saw him more on posters, in music-videos and on Coke-Studio, than I would in real life,” he added.
The actor recalled how Farhad was like his supportive brother, who would appear at the right time, at the right place.
“We would then end up meeting over summers in London, where among other things, he would magically appear at the toughest of times, to lift my unwell brother out of an emotional slump just when it was most required. Just like his father, Shahzad Uncle had done for my parents, Fadi was always doing the most he could, to make us feel supported and secure.”
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Arjun also shared a collection of screenshots from their conversations which revealed their last exchange about a song on which Farhad was working.
“In my last real exchange with him, he sent me a new song that he made after two brain surgeries. It was not mixed or mastered, very removed from anything he had done before and it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever heard. In our next conversation, he was to explain the lyrics and inspiration to me. That conversation will never happen now. But help me God, I will get to the bottom of it. And hopefully have you all hear this beautiful song someday,” Arjun wrote.
Continuing in the comments section, Arjun shared how Farhad once stayed with him in Bombay and the police visited after he left to inquire about ‘the Pakistani national’.
“He got to visit me in Bombay one time.. He stayed with me in my tiny 1 BHK at the time and we went together to hear Roger Waters live in concert. When he moved out of my home and into a hotel, I had the police visit my home to inquire about ‘the Pakistani national that just stayed in my home’. Fadi was not as shocked by this as I was and we were able to laugh about it after I had expressed enough anger towards the State.”
He then shared how Farhad fought with his ailment for over two years.
“3 short years ago and completely out of the blue, Fadi – one of the fittest, best-looking, healthiest people I knew – got diagnosed with a cancerous brain-tumour. After two brain-surgeries over two years and no real sign of getting any better, Fadi finally surrendered and decided to end the treatments and medication. Today, the world has lost him. And it will never be the same again.”
Arjun concluded by answering his own question: “So, what does one say about a comet, or a shooting star?
Nothing… you just thank the heavens that you were fortunate enough to witness it, that you existed together even for a moment.”
“Rest In Peace, my dearest Fadi… All I can say now is that any place that has Shahzad Uncle, Mama AND you (all the fun from our two families) in it, can no more be anything to be afraid of, but a place one looks forward to getting to.
I love you and always will, and you will inspire me and my art forever, just as you always have. Safe travels, my brother and oldest friend.”
