Mumbai: Legendary actor Irrfan Khan has been seen as a global star who used to lead a simple life. The power of showcasing emotions on screen without making too much effort makes him stand out from the rest of the performers our cinema has witnessed.
He was born on January 7, 1967, with no idea that he will one day be remembered as one of the greatest performers in the world.
Debuting with a minor role in ‘Salaam Bombay’ in 1988 and ending up with ‘The Songs of Scorpions’ and multiple achievements, dreams and movies in between, the legend lived a complete life.
Irrfan was someone who used to be a free bird and never let uncertainty overpower him. A person who used to love the factor of uncertainty in life made the world wake up to his demise due to neuroendocrine cancer at a time when the pandemic was at its literal peak and the world was already suffering from bad news daily.
It has been three years as we remember him today on his third death anniversary but the news is yet to be accepted as the impression of the persona he had is rock-solid.
Actor Irrfan Khan who has been part of some of the most critically acclaimed movies and also dominated global showbiz with the movie like ‘Life of Pi’ and ‘Inferno’ is still in the hearts of people who ever worked with him or know about his work.
The voyage of Irrfan becoming an actor started with learning acting at NSD (National School of Drama) to making it to the global stage. After dominating the Bollywood industry with movies like ‘Lunchbox’, ‘Piku’and ‘Billu’ Irrfan worked on some top-class international projects.
Some of the movies from his grand filmography which made a global impact are listed below.
‘THE NAMESAKE’
In this 2006 English language film, Irrfan captured the intricacies of Ashoke, an Indian immigrant struggling to make a living in another country while keeping his native culture alive, as a university professor with Bengali roots residing in the US. Both the film and his part were highly appreciated at the time, driving Irrfan to stardom.
‘SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE’
Despite having little screen time in this 2008 film, Irrfan managed to make a name for himself as a crude police inspector who underestimated the lead character Jamal (played by actor Dev Patel) and berated him until he gained confidence and became a millionaire on a quiz show. The film went on to win several prizes, including eight Academy prizes, taking Irrfan to the global stage.
‘The Amazing SPIDER-MAN’
Irrfan appeared in the blockbuster superhero film in 2012, as the dominant Rajit, the supervisor of Dr Curt Connors who pressures him into a method that results in Connors becoming a man-lizard hybrid.
‘Life OF PI’
Irrfan, who played the adult version of the protagonist character ‘Pi Patel in this 2012 adventure-drama film directed by Ang Lee, was primarily heard rather than seen, working as the narrator. The film was a smash hit with critics and audiences alike, becoming one of the year’s highest-grossing films and earning four Oscars out of eight nominations.
‘JURASSIC WORLD’
Irrfan’s screen personality was a treat to watch onscreen as Simon, the proprietor of the renowned dinosaur theme park. The film is one of the biggest commercial successes starring the late actor, showing that he was loved not just in his native country, but also crossed borders to become a true worldwide cinema legend.
It is hard to keep track of all of the movies when Irrfan stole our hearts but if we have to share something more beautiful than his acting skills then it will be his bond with his son Babil.
Babil mentions his baba Irrfan as his best friend and soulmate. The statement came after Babil shared an event when Irrfan made him learn what is life and what god looks like.
So, the ten-year-old Babil one day decided that he would meet God and tell him how lonely he was. He told his father and Irrfan readily accepted his proposal.
Both of them drove to Igatpuri, the farmhouse of Irrfan. The ‘Piku’ actor told Babil to wear his swim trunks. Then he laid with his back on the water. “I’ve splashed around, tried to regain control,” Babil said.
Irrfan pulled him out of the water and said ‘Exercise over, will do it tomorrow.” For, the next nine days, Babil did the same thing again and again. On the tenth day, Babil lost all interest in meeting God, and he got bored. But on that very day, he did not hesitate and tried to regain control.
He let the river take away him. “Baba watched me float away. And the very moment, when my head was about to hit a rock, he pulled me out. He said, ‘Today you surrendered, today you met God,” Babil narrated on a public forum last year.
As the event makes us think about the beautiful bond between a father and son, we can’t ignore the philosophical take late actors had for life.
Anyone who has ever worked with the former actor no matter what is the situation their faces light up. The way Khan narrated life says us to follow a single rule which is to love every moment fully and not be scared of uncertainty.
As the actor has left the world without giving us a proper farewell to remember, his latest release ‘The Songs of Scorpions’ serves the purpose.
The movie is playing in theatres now to mark the last theatrical release of the Sahabzaade Irrfan and give us another chance to be entertained by one of the biggest entertainers the world has ever welcomed.
