Irrfan Khan walked into the realm of Bollywood with a name of familiarity; yet he challenged the stereotypical notion of stardom through his much realistic character based acting talents and built a vibrant, steady career and marked a notable global popularity with no precedent in Indian cinema ever before. World renowned Hindi movie ‘Salaam Bombay!’ by Mira Nair was his first appearance on the silver screen in 1986 and Mira noticed this young man from Jaipur for the very first time at the National School of Drama in New Delhi when she was scouting for the film.
Though she cast him for one of the main characters, soon she had second thoughts about her selection as he seemed too well fed to play a character of a malnourished child. Besides Khan’s great dismay, she had to trim off his role. However, Mira Nair later expressed for a film magazine with pride of her discovery and recalled the reasons why she wanted to cast him; “I noticed his focus, his intensity, his very remarkable look – his hooded eyes”.
From time to time Bollywood had discovered rare gems with imperfect, ‘commoner’s’ look with exemplary acting talents, opposed to the more dominant nature of ‘over acting-prince charming’ type which has invaded the industry. Such rare gems obviously is a treat to the directors who thirst for realistic story telling through believable, grounded characters, such as Nana Patekar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpai and Irrfan Khan to names a few. However, throughout Khan’s carrier he was able to secure his imprint in both commercial and art-house cinema with ease. Although it was a tough journey, through his magnificent expertise in acting, he was able to blurred the mythical binary in these two industries .
Khan belonged to a handful of Indian actors who were known far beyond Hindi cinema and he was able to achieve a considerable success in the west. Notably, while being an established actor in both commercial an art house cinema in India, Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Life of Pi (2012) and Jurassic World (2015) were his major inroads in Hollywood where he equally trail blazed internationally. His commitment and hard work paid off throughout his career, cementing himself in popular memory.
He had to wait years, appearing only in television series, after his debut appearance in the silver screen in a minor role in Salam Bombay!, before breaking through with his dynamic character as a feudal soldier in Asif Kapadia’s ‘The warrior’ in 2001. That was ‘the’ performance which he baptized as a promising actor in Bollywood and unfolded a career where he was able to write his name in gold in the history of Indian cinema.
Piku (2015) is another remarkable milestone of his cinematic career where he exposed that his style was free of narcissism and beyond self-consciousness that could have seeded a sheer happiness of existence in every spectators’ mind through his character; proving his ability of expression which was larger than his own life.
Khan was born to a middle-class Muslim family in Jaipur, in 1967. According to his recent biography by Aseem Chabra, he harboured aspirations to be a cricketer as well as an actor, however eventually he became more passionate to be an actor since his mid-teens. Although, his family didn’t have any roots in cinema neither were they movie fanatics; he nurtured his dreams secretly. He was not fascinated or comfortable with his own complexion where he had self-doubts of being a professional limitation, he enrolled in the National School of Drama where he discovered immense opportunities to grow.
Khan’s great encounters delivered after the turn of the millennium. He excelled in his talents and bigger releases such as Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Maqbool’ (2003), Anurag Basu’s ‘Life in a Metro’ (2007) and Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Lunch Box’ (2013) which was identified as a milestone in Indian independent cinema.
Irrfan Khan, ended his charismatic acting and his three decade long vibrant contribution to cinema and his journey of life, last Wednesday in Mumbai, at the age of 53, after battling two years with neuroendocrine cancer. His final film ‘Angrezi Medium’ (2020) was the last Bollywood film released in theatres before the Covid -19 pandemic.
On a Youtube video, digging into his own deep, dark emotions of agony, desperation, misery and his own enlightenment that he encountered through his fatal journey, Khan says with his blessed, deep, honeyed voice;
“I have surrendered”.
“.... It is a realization that the cork doesn’t need to control the current, that you are being gently rocked in the cradle of nature.”
It says that ‘Art is not what you see, but what you make others to see’, in this sense Irrfan Khan himself is a masterpiece who had the ultimate realization of life which made him seem larger than life.
Thank you Irrfan! for the wonderful memories and inspirations, You will always be remembered.
Irrfan Khan’s Filmography:
Angrezi Medium (2020), Blackmail (2018), Karwaan (2018), Puzzle (2018), The Amazing Spider-Man (2018),
Hindi Medium (2017), No Bed of Roses (2017), Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017), The Song of Scorpions (2017),
Inferno (2016), Madaari (2016), Jurassic World (2015), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Jazbaa (2015), Talvar (2015), Piku (2015),
Gunday (2014), Haider (2014), The Lunchbox (2013), Qissa (2013), D-Day (2013), Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2013), Life of Pie (2012),
7 Khoon Maaf (2011), Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), Thank You (2011), Paan Sigh Tomar (2010), Right Yaa Wrong (2010), Hiss (2010) ,
Knock Out (2010), Billu (2009), New York (2009), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Sunday (2008), Tulsi: Mathrudevo (2008), Krazzy 4 (2008),
Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), Life in A Metro (2007), A mighty Heart (2007), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), The Namesake (2006),
Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota (2006), Deadline : Sirf 24 Ghante (2006), Sainikudu (2006), The Killer (2006), Rog (2005), Maqbool (2003),
Haasil (2003), The Warrior (2001), Ke Doctor Ki Maut (1990), Salaam Bombay! (1988)
Awards:
Filmfare Awards
2004 – Won Best Performance in a Negative Role – Haasil
2008 – Nominated Best Supporting Actor – Life in a … Metro
2013 – Won Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics) – Paan Singh Tomor
2018 – Won Best Actor Award and Nominated Best Actor (Critics)– Hindi Medium
Independent Spirit Awards
2007 – Nominated Best Supporting Male – The Namesake
2011 Awarded Padma Sri Award for Arts
National Film Awards
2013 – Won Best Actor– Paan Singh Tomor
Asian Film Awards
2014 – Won Best Actor– The Lunchbox