Irrfan Khan (1967-2020): A Tribute to the Legend and a Cornerstone of Hindi Cinema!

Irrfan Khan started his journey to heavenly adobe on April 29, 2020. The world lost one of its beloved artist who was known for his line of work in Bollywood and Hollywood as well. 

In a career span of 32-years, Irrfan Khan made a quintessential debut in Bollywood with a feature film - Salaam Bombay! It was an unusual and one of a kind attempt that decided his fate for years to come and laid the foundation of an actor who would lead to be one of the critically acclaimed actors of all time. Khan successfully managed to maneuver from niche cinema to commercial spectrum that would help him amass love and fame from his fans and audience. 

Khan is known to have worked with most of the actors from Bollywood. With no filmy background, he lodged his roots deep into the Indian Entertainment industry and made a massive contribution to Bollywood as it has finally carved a niche for itself in the competitive global cinematic enclave.

His recent release Angrezi Medium added another feather to his cap as Irrfan heaped a lot of love from the audience and critics as well. The 53-year-old actor was seen performing in films like Piku, The Lunchbox, Paan Singh Tomar, D-Day, Blackmail, Qissa, Acid Factory, and many more.  

While Irfaan can be seen as a cornerstone for Hindi Cinema considering his contribution to Bollywood, he was equally loved in the land of Hollywood as well. Making a debut with Slumdog Millionaire, he became an important asset for western cinema due to his worthy choices and technical knowledge about films. 

Irrfan Khan worked with some of the biggest names abroad, and he was even delighted to receive compliments from his favorite actor Mark Ruffalo. 

The two unexpectedly met at a restaurant in New York City and Mark even acknowledged Irrfan saying, ‘Hey, man, I love your work.’ 

Irrfan has worked in films such as Jurassic World and Life of Pi.

He shot to international fame with his amazing talent but ended up turning down big-budget Hollywood films, for a variety of reasons. Most recently, the actor said ‘no’ to Steven Spielberg, for a secret project that could have been Robopocalypse.

Irrfan Khan breathed his last on Wednesday (April 29), after being admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for a colon infection on Tuesday. Considered by many as India’s biggest export to Hollywood, he has worked in films such as Jurassic World and Life of Pi.