Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan’s death on April 29 came as a shock to all. The international actor’s passing was confirmed by his representatives. After a long and hard-fought battle with a rare type of cancer, the award-winning actor passed away at his home. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Irrfan Khan’s death is a blow to the Bollywood industry. But Khan made a huge impact in many Hollywood and international projects as well. So much so, that people all over the world are mourning his death.

Irrfan Khan’s Death Reminds Us Of His Legacy And Body Of Work

Irrfan Khan was an actor who was seamlessly able to cross between the worlds of Bollywood and Hollywood. Khan’s debut was in Oscar-nominated Indian film Salaam Bombay by Mira Nair. Little did he know know that the Oscars would become a familiar event in his career. He would later reteam with Nair, years later, for a role in The Namesake. Through the decades Khan worked his way up from background roles, to character performances. He eventually became one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars. The star-based culture of Bollywood usually looks to conventional leading men to be their heroes. But in this space, Khan stood out and carved a spot out for himself.

I love this @tomhanks quote about #IrrfanKhan. I read it in an interview and never forgot it. It’s TOM HANKS. pic.twitter.com/NBSX4UFLA7

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) April 29, 2020

Through his success, he became one of India’s most beloved actors, and one of the industry’s most relied upon stars. Not to mention a critical darling when it came to the kinds of movies he chose. As a result, he was the receipient of the Padma Shri award in India. The award is one of the highest civilian awards in India, recognizing his contribution to the arts. 

How Hollywood And The World Came To Know Irrfan Khan

Most Hollywood audiences would notice Irrfan Khan from a brief appearance in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited. And then, more so with significant screen time in the true story adaptation, A Mighty Heart. Khan was part of an ensemble cast, supporting Angelina Jolie’s character. But Khan’s biggest Hollywood exposure would come from Oscar-winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire. He played the police inspector in the Danny Boyle directed film.

A grateful fan of #IrrfanKhan here. Gone too soon. When he is on screen, you can’t take your eyes off of him. He lives on in his films. pic.twitter.com/aA9RAjsxSl

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 29, 2020

After that, Khan entered the realm of genre films in Hollywood with some pretty impressive credits to his name. The first of which was an original character in the Andrew Garfield version of The Amazing Spider-Man. Khan played the intermediary between the characters of Norman Osborn and Curt Connors. He delivered ambiguous and antagonistic lines, through a cool and calm demeanor. Khan’s most memorable and most impactful role is probably from the Oscar-winning Life Of Pi. Khan portrayed the adult Pi Patel, narrating the entire story of the Ang Lee directed movie. He was also part of the new Jurassic World franchise, as basically the new John Hammond. Khan played an eccentric billionaire who brought dinosaurs back to life. Khan was also seen in Ron Howard’s Inferno alongside Tom Hanks. The experience brought Khan very close to Hanks, as Hanks admired his work ethic and personality. 

Bollywood Actor Irrfan Khan’s Death Mourned By Fans And Colleagues Alike

Image via Universal Pictures.

Khan was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2018. The actor took a break from acting to recover from the treatments. Unfortunately, it’s due to complications from this cancer, that Khan ultimately died. The news of his passing was out of the blue for many. Most recent reports had showed that Khan was recovering. Coincidentally, he even released a new Bollywood movie just last month, indicating he was back to work. The actor was so beloved that ‘Irrfan Khan’ was trending on Twitter internationally after his death. Colleagues from Hollywood and Bollywood expressed their grief on social media.

What role do you remember Irrfan Khan for the most? Let us know in the comments below. 

Featured Image via Universal Pictures.

Shah Shahid is an entertainment writer, movie critic (so he thinks), host of the Split Screen Podcast (on Apple Podcasts & everywhere else) and filmy father on a mission to educate his girls on decades of film history. Armed with uncontrollable sarcasm and cautious optimism, Shah loves discussing film, television and comic book content until his wife’s eyes glaze over. So save her by engaging him on his own blog at BlankPageBeatdown.com or on Twitter @theshahshahid.