Mumbai, Jun 9 (IANS): Bollywood actor Boman Irani took to social media on Wednesday evening to mourn the demise of his 94-year-old mother. The actor informed that his mother passed away peacefully in her sleep early on Wednesday.

Irani shared a black and white photograph of his mother on Instagram and said she played the role of "both mother and father" to him.

The actor wrote: "Mother Irani passed away peacefully in her sleep early this morning. Jer was 94. She played the role of both mother and father to me, since she was 32."

Talking about his mother, Irani added: "What a spirit she was. Filled with funny stories that only she could tell. The longest arm that always dug deep into her pockets, even when there wasna¿t much there. When she sent me to the movies, she made sure all the compound kids came with me. aDon't forget the popcorn' she would say. She loved her food and her songs and she could fact-check Wikipedia and IMDb in a flash. Sharp, sharp, sharp, till the very end."

"She always said 'You are not an actor for people to praise you. You are an actor only so you can make people smile. Make people happy' She said. Last night she asked for Malai Kulfi and some mango. She could have asked for the moon and the stars if she wished. She was, and always will be.......A Star," he concluded.

Commenting on the actor's post, fans, followers, industry colleagues and friends expressed condolence and shared their prayers for the departed.