Khan,
who fought a long battle with cancer, carved out a stellar career in Bollywood,
Hollywood and other Western films.
Acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan, whose
international movie career included hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, Life of
Pi and The Amazing Spider-Man, has died aged 53, his publicist said.
Khan, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, died on Wednesday after he was admitted in a Mumbai hospital for colon infection. He was 53.
Khan, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, died on Wednesday after he was admitted in a Mumbai hospital for colon infection. He was 53.
"Irrfan was a strong soul,
someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came
close to him," his publicist said in a statement.
He spent his final hours "surrounded by his love, his family
for whom he most cared about," a statement released by his family
said.
The
actor had spent several months last year in the United Kingdom undergoing
cancer treatment.
His mother Saeeda Begum died four
days ago on April 25.
Deeply saddened to learn that #Irffan Khan passed away this morning. Gone too soon .. such a powerful actor and how valiantly he fought back the cancer. Its a big loss not only to his family but to the entire film industry. RIP— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) April 29, 2020
He is survived by his wife, TV producer Sutapa Sikdar, and sons
Babil and Ayan.
One of the best crossover actors
Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan in the
Indian desert state of Rajasthan on January 7, 1967, Khan discovered an early
passion for acting and studied at the elite National School of Drama.
But
his training in Shakespeare and Chekhov did little to ease his entry into the
Hindi film industry, which was largely focused at the time on churning out
formulaic song-and-dance blockbusters.
Irrfan Khan’s demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2020
Even as he landed a role in 1988's Salaam Bombay - directed by
first-timer Mira Nair - his part was slashed to a cameo.
He
sobbed for hours when he found out about the cuts, he told India's Open
magazine. "It changed something within me. I was prepared for anything
after that," he said.
Television roles followed, along with a handful of bit parts in
Bollywood, where producers routinely dismissed him as looking too
unconventional to play the lead.
By
the time British director Asif Kapadia cast him as a mercenary in The Warrior,
he was ready to quit acting, frustrated over the direction of his career.
But,
in a sign of the global success that lay in wait, the 2001 film racked up
awards and won Khan praise - including in India, where a new generation of
directors was eager to experiment with fresh storylines.
His
drama school training came in handy when he was cast in Maqbool and Haider -
contemporary Hindi adaptations of Macbeth and Hamlet.
But
he also charmed audiences in lighter fare such as Piku, featuring Bollywood
superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, and The Lunchbox, in which he
played a lonely accountant in love with a housewife.
'An incredible talent'
The
tall and lanky actor won India's national award for his performance in Paan
Singh Tomar. He was also awarded with Padma Shri, one of the country's highest
civilian honours.
Too soon to leave @irrfank Ji. Your work always left me in awe. You’re one of the finest actors I know, I wish you stayed longer. You deserved more time. Strength to the family at this time.— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) April 29, 2020
Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark
in Western cinema, following earlier crossover pioneers like Saeed Jaffrey,
Roshan Seth and Om Puri.
He
featured in several award-winning international films such as The Warrior,
Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi. In Hollywood, he worked in The Amazing
Spider-Man, Inferno and Jurassic World.
Khan
consciously sidestepped traditional Bollywood tropes, focusing on the
subtleties of his craft.
This
allowed him to carve out a stellar career in Hollywood as well, where he
collaborated with Oscar-winning directors such as Danny Boyle and Ang Lee and
appeared in the HBO show In Treatment.
The
actor was last seen in Bollywood comedy, Angrezi Medium, which was released in
March.
"An incredible talent," said Amitabh Bachchan in one of many Twitter tributes.I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. A versatile & talented actor, he was a popular Indian brand ambassador on the global film & tv stage. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans at this time of grief.— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 29, 2020
"A
gracious colleague. A prolific contributor to the world of cinema... left us
too soon creating a huge vacuum," said the veteran actor.
Filmmaker
Karan Johar said, "Thank you for raising the bar as an artist ... Thank
you for enriching our cinema... We will miss you terribly, Irrfan."
