Irrfan acted in parallel, mainstream, international cinema and struck a fine balance between the genres so that each of his work appeared fresh and never repetitive.
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts…”
An actor par excellence, Irrfan Khan literally lived up to world-famous playwright Shakespeare’s famous lines.
The choice of his roles-negative shades to comical–reflected the unique traits and versatility of his personality. He did it all and made sure each of his characters stood apart from each other.
Right from his debut in Salaam Bombay in 1988 till his last movie Angrezi Medium, he has been known and recognized for his passion and dedication towards his craft.
He acted in parallel, mainstream, international cinema and struck a fine balance between the genres so that each of his work appeared fresh and never repetitive.
He carved his scenes brilliantly with suitable pauses between the dialogues, filling the gaps with the change in his eye expressions. His impeccable comic timing with a deadpan face and at times, dark humour were the highlights in many of his films.
Irrfan lived many memorable characters in over 80 films in his career spanning over three decades. He will be remembered for his role opposite Konkona Sen in Life in a Metro, a frustrated married man in Dil Kabaddi, a street vendor who makes hoax bomb calls in Mumbai Meri Jaan, an honest FBI officer investigating the Twin Tower bombings in New York, the adult version of “Pi” Patel in Life of Pi, in Shakespeare’s Hindi adaptation Maqbool, a police officer in Charas, Rog, Jazbaa and Talvaar, his famous role as the kidnapper in Madaari, Yogi, a frustrated single who looks for love in a matrimonial site in Qarib Qarib Singlle, a driver Shaukat in Karwaan and many more such roles.
The actor’s international projects include Inferno, Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire among others. He also worked in HBO show In Treatment that bagged several awards including Emmy, Writers Guild, and Golden Globe. Irrfan also pulled off an impressive performance in four-part Japanese mini-series Tokyo Trial where he shared screen space with Marcel Hensema, Jonathan Hyde, Paul Freeman, Stephen McHattie, Julian Wadham, and Michael Ironside.
At 53, he had an amazing kitty of 80 plus films, 25 television shows and two video games. The niche he created in films is unique and there is a rare chance that it will be filled by another actor with his finesse.
He won many awards but was hardly touched by all the glitz and glam of the tinsel industry. Many scribes who met him have rightly described him as extremely earthy and grounded.
His non-conventionality was reflected in the paths he undertook and the decisions he made. In one instance, during an interview, he declared that he had rechristened himself as Irrfan (dissociating from his surname) since he did not want people to associate him with his lineage but preferred that they recognize him by his craft. He chose his own scripts – whether it was Bollywood or Hollywood. His NSD batchmates (including his wife Sutapa Sikdar and his sons Babil and Ayaan) remember him fondly for his undying passion for cinema and reading. His wife has always seen him with a script or a book in hand.
This prolific actor maintained his unique, quiet persona off-screen too. Hardly a partygoer, he loved spending time at home. He had an extremely private life, keeping flashlights off his family.
Such was his enigmatic, understated presence on screen that he made a space in his co-stars’ hearts as well. All of them remember him fondly. The proof of his passion is that despite his struggle with cancer, he continued shooting for his last film Angrezi Medium. The actor who could not be part of the film’s promotions recorded an emotional message for his fans. “Live life to the fullest and sail through tough times with a big smile,” the actor’s message read.
His last audio message to his fans before the release of Angrezi Medium:
https://youtu.be/BTrlTmmux9A
He may not have been able to make lemonades with lemons thrown at him, but he managed to throw zest into his life with a “Mighty Heart” and lived life king-size!
You will be sorely missed on the silver screen, Irrfan! May your soul rest in peace...
Check out the story on https://topleadindia.com/2020/05/01/adios-irrfan-indias-unconventional-global-film-icon/
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