Mumbai, Apr 29 (IANS): National award-winning filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, a frequent collaborators with the late Irrfan Khan, says the sudden demise of the actor tore him apart.

"I feared that he would be gone much before his time but didn't expect that it will be so devastating and ravaging to me personally. It feels as if I am torn into two parts. A part of me has died with him," said Vishal.

Vishal has directed Irrfan in films such as "Maqbool", "Haider" and "7 Khoon Maaf". According to unconfirmed sources , the filmmaker had planned a film bringing together the "Piku" pair of Irrfan and Deepika Padukone. Butthat was not to be.

Irrfan had been admitted in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection on Tuesday and passed away on Wednesday.

The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour a while back and has been under medical attention for the same. He even went abroad for treatment.