Star of Slumdog Millionaire and Life Of Pi
Irrfan Khan Actor BORN JANUARY 7, 1967 – DIED APRIL 29, 2020, AGED 53
ACCLAIMED Bollywood star Irrfan Khan transitioned to Hollywood effortlessly in a series of roles demonstrating his range and talent.
Khan died after being admitted to hospital in Mumbai with a colon infection.
A spokesman said: “Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and who always inspired everyone who came close to him.”
Khan made his screen debut in the Academy Award-nominated 1988 drama Salaam Bombay! about Mumbai’s street children.
But he was perhaps best known for starring in blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009, and the 2012 hit adventure fantasy Life Of Pi.
The versatile actor portrayed park executive Masrani in Jurassic World as well as appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man.
Khan was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer in 2018 and underwent months of treatment in the UK.
“I trust, I have surrendered,” he wrote in a heartfelt note after breaking the news of his battle with cancer.
The star won a number of domestic film awards in India, including a 2012 Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar.
He received an Independent Spirit Award for supporting actor in 2006 Indian-American drama The Namesake and a viewers’ choice award at Cannes in 2013 for his role in Indian drama The Lunchbox.
Tributes poured in from Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan, who said Khan was an “incredible talent” and “a prolific contributor” to cinema.
In an interview in 2018, Khan said: “I’ve seen life from a completely different angle.
“You sit down and you see the other side and that’s fascinating. I’m engaged on a journey.”
His last Bollywood movie, Angrezi Medium, a sequel to one of his biggest hits, Hindi Medium, was released before India went into lockdown in March.
He is survived by his wife, television writer and producer Sutapa Sikdar, and sons
Babil and Ayan.