Irrfan Khan, one of Bollywood’s most popular stars who has had considerable success in the West, died at the age of 53.
He was admitted to the intensive care unit of Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai with an intestinal infection on Tuesday, and a statement was released Wednesday morning confirming his death.
“It is sad that we have to bring the news of his death today,” the statement said. “Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought to the end and always inspired everyone who came close to him.”
Despite his status as one of Bollywood’s most famous actors, Khan had a reputation for being humble and honest, and the news of his death grieved India and caused actors, fans, and politicians from around the world to express their sadness at his death.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Khan’s death was “a loss to the world of cinema and theater.” He will be remembered for his diverse appearances in various media. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace. ”
Amitabh Bachchan, a fellow actor from Bollywood, said Khan’s death left a “huge vacuum”. “An incredible talent, a kind colleague, a productive contributor in the world of cinema … left us too early,” tweeted Bachchan.
“The charism that brought you to everything you did was pure magic,” tweeted Priyanka Chopra. “Your talent has paved the way for so many in so many ways. You have inspired so many of us. Irrfan Khan, you will really be missed. Condolences to the family. ”
Indian politician Rahul Gandhi described Khan as a “versatile and talented actor” who would be “very much missed” while Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said India had lost “one of the most extraordinary actors of our time”.
Khan announced in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor, but after extensive treatment, he recovered well enough to shoot Angrezi Medium, the film that would turn out to be his last, and was released in March this year because of the film the coronavirus pandemic was canceled.
Khan, who was known to the English-speaking audience as a police inspector in Slumdog Millionaire and for his roles in Jurassic World and Life of Pi, was a mainstay of Bollywood and played in hits such as Haider, Piku and Hindi Medium.
“I always object to the word Bollywood,” he told the Guardian in 2013. “I don’t think it’s fair to have this name. Because this industry has its own technique, its own way of making films that have nothing to do with the Hollywood monkey. It has its origins in the Parsi theater. ”
Irrfan Khan: “I reject the term Bollywood.”
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Khan was born in Jaipur in 1966 to a tire seller as Saahabzaade Irfan Ali Khan and attended drama school after failing as a cricketer. He struggled to advance in the film industry even though he played a small role as a letter writer in 1988’s Mira Nairs Salaam Bombay! – To his frustration, he only managed to work regularly in inferior TV soap operas.
“I came into this industry to tell stories and make movies, and I was stuck on TV,” he told the Guardian.
Khan’s breakthrough role came from an unlikely source: the feature film debut of the then unknown British director Asif Kapadia, whose inexpensive samurai-style story The Warrior was filmed in India. The Warrior was released in 2002 and selected for the prestigious San Sebastian film festival. He won the Bafta award for the best British film. Khan later broke into mainstream Indian films and often played policemen or villains – including the title role of Maqbool, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the underworld of Mumbai. Other Orthodox Bollywood productions followed, such as Rog and the Slice-of-Life musical Life in a… Metro.
Khan also had a parallel career in British-American cinema: he played the chief of police in Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart and another police officer in Slumdog Millionaire, who won eight Oscars. In later roles, he became a reliable standby character in Hollywood films on a large budget. In 2012 he played a doctor in The Amazing Spider-Man and business people in Jurassic World (2015) and Inferno (2016). In 2012, he also played the adult version of the main character in another Oscar winner: Life of Pi directed by Ang Lee. Director Wes Anderson said he starred in his film The Darjeeli