IRRFAN KHAN Gone too soon; A hero of world cinema

By Jaydip Sengupta
His name was Khan too, but he was not one among The Khans of Bollywood. No six-packs, no bulging biceps, no drop-dead good looks and yet, Irrfan Khan could stop you dead in your tracks with one smoldering look. Then there was his baritone voice, that deliberate pause before his dialogue delivery, the signature drawl and of course, the swagger that made him tower over the rest in an industry full of stars and mediocre star kids.
Irrfan was his own man, far removed from the star-trappings of his contemporaries in Bollywood. He went where even the most secure actors feared to tread and always emerged triumphant, be it in mainstream Bollywood or even Hollywood for that matter. Name the genre and Irrfan is sure to have at least dabbled in it. From Bollywood crossovers to mainstream Hollywood, Irrfan evoked the kind of love and respect usually reserved for industry royalty.

When news of his untimely death at the age of 53 broke on Wednesday, it sent the film fraternity and his legion of fans into the kind of mourning seldom seen before. No RIP statuses, which is usually the case when an actor passes away, for this was way more personal. Here was a supremely gifted actor who had his feet on the ground even as he touched the sky and that probably resonated most with his fans as they poured their hearts out.
Some remembered his films, others his dialogues, while many chose to remember the down-to-earth, opinionated and witty human being that Irrfan was. His phenomenal body of work in Bollywood, which included movies like Maqbool, Paan Singh Tomar, Hindi Medium, The Lunchbox and Piku, just to name a few, has placed him on a pedestal most actors can only dream of stepping on.

The Bollywood bigwigs, along with the country’s leaders, joined in celebrating the life of this versatile genius. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Amitabh Bachchan, tributes poured in on social media.
“Irrfan Khan’s demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace,” PM Modi tweeted.

Bachchan wrote: “An incredible talent .. a gracious colleague .. a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema .. left us too soon .. creating a huge vacuum .. Prayers and duas”
Irrfan’s Billu co-star Shah Rukh Khan tweeted: “My friend…inspiration & the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai…will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives. Love u.” he posted on Twitter.

Elizabeth director Shekhar Kapur called Irrfan India’s “most successful export to Hollywood.” He added that he was “an actor that every director wanted to work with. A human being that gave his best in every role….A man loved by all. Sad to see #IrrfanKhan leave us, after what we thought was successful fight against cancer. God bless you Irrfan.”

A.R. Rahman, who scored for the Irrfan-starrer Slumdog Millionaire, tweeted: “One of the greatest ambassadors of Indian cinema has left us. Gone too soon..#RamadanDay5 #memories #oscar2009”
Priyanka Chopra, who starred with Irrfan in the 2011 black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf by director Vishal Bhardwaj, paid tribute, tweeting: “The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family.”

Mainstream Hollywood too joined the bandwagon to celebrate an icon that captivated audiences in acclaimed hits like multiple-Oscar winner Life of Pi, The Amazing Spiderman and Jurassic World among others. Directors Colin Trevorrow and Ava Duvernay and actors Kal Penn and Riz Ahmed paid glowing tributes to Irrfan.

Penn who played Irrfan’s son in Mira Nair’s The Namesake, penned: “Irrfan’s art and humanity will be badly missed. Never seen someone use the beats of silence so beautifully to convey so much about who we are.”

Trevorrow, who worked with Irrfan in Jurassic World, tweeted: “Deeply sad to have lost #IrrfanKhan. A thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him, even in pain. In our last correspondence, he asked me to remember ‘the wonderful aspects of our existence’ in the darkest of days.”

DuVernay, of Middle of Nowhere and Selma fame, wrote about watching the actor on screen and appreciating his work as a fan. “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.”

Riz Ahmed, who rose to fame with Blockbusters like Jason Bourne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and most recently Venom, paid the ultimate tribute. “Rest in peace one of the greatest actors of our time, Irrfan Khan. I never met him but he was an inspiration and a hero to me and millions of others. His work was consistently transcendent, he was a guiding light for so many of us.”