One of the finest-known actors in Bollywood was Irrfan Khan. He was loved by everyone Globally. He was 53 When he passed away. He was not only known in Bollywood but was also a well-known actor in Hollywood.
I trust I have surrendered were some of the last words that he expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018, sharing with us about his fight with cancer
We can never forget his brilliant performances in many of the force majors, The Lunchbox answering to my Tickoo, Alwar et cetera. One of his movies which gained much success was Angrezi Medium. A few of the Hollywood movies that he was a part of were Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, etc
12 Facts about the Legendary actor Irrfan Khan
1. Became an actor by chance
He had always been interested in becoming a cricketer since childhood, but his family discouraged him after He joined a theatre group in Jaipur, where he was also pursuing his full post-graduation, and then later got a scholarship in the National School of Drama.
His mother then asked him to complete his graduation before joining NSD. he lied of having a theatre experience and by all means, it was a good lie because we wouldn’t have such a brilliant actor amongst us if it wasn’t for that lie.
2. Muslim but a Vegetarian
He was a vegetarian by choice even though he belonged to a Pathan family. He was made fun of for being a Brahmin who was born in a Pathan family. He was also against animal sacrifice on Bakra Eid.
3. Could do anything for love
During his days in the NSD he fell in love with Sutapa Sikdar, who was his fellow NSD graduate and is also a writer. In February 1995, Irrfan Khan married Sutapa. To get married to Satpal, Irfan was also ready to change his religion but fortunately, their family accepted them without interreligious marriage being a barrier. they now have two sons Babil and Ayan.
4. Early days of struggle
We all know that Mecca superstars have a history of struggle and just like them Irfan did too. He worked as an air-conditioner repairman when he first arrived in Mumbai. Also, there is a report that states legendary actor Rajesh Khanna’s house was one of the first houses he visited for repairing air conditioners.
5. making his way from small screen to big screen
On the small screen, he played the role of Lenin on one of the serials that aired on Doordarshan known as ‘Lal ghaas par neele ghode’, where he was portrayed as a psycho killer and as a main antagonist of the show in the serial Dar. His first movie as a Bollywood actor was in the movie Salaam Bombay directed by Mira Nair.
6. Mystery about the RR in Irfan
Irfan was actually known as Sahibzaade Irfan Ali Khan and was born of Pathan ancestry in Rajasthan. In 2012, he decided to change his name first name from Irfan to Irrfan as he says that he like the sound of the extra sound of R in his name. In one of his interviews in the year 2016, he mentioned that he had dropped his surname Khan because he wanted his line of work to define his image and not his lineage.
7. India’s fourth highest civilian honor award holder
Irrfan Khan was awarded the Padma Shri much is known as India’s fourth highest civilian honor, in the year 2011 for all that he contributed to the Indian film industry.
8. Lunchbox won global awards
In the Toronto Film Critics Association Award(TFCA) lunchbox was the only Indian movie to have ever won the prestigious award. Along with the movie, his acting was also praised globally.
9. Jurassic World tweeted about him
The only Bollywood actor to have received a condolence from the Twitter handle of Jurassic World was Irrfan Khan.
10. Oscar wrote on his demise
Irfan is one of the few actors from Bollywood, who received an official statement from Oscar on his demise, the Academy wrote to Twitter “Irrfan Khan left his imprint on global cinema. An inspiration to millions, he will be greatly missed”.
11. Was once declared a terrorist
At the US airport, he was once inspected and searched and was declared a terrorist. His face was like a dreaded terrorist and that was the reason he was held up at the airport. His name or surname had nothing to do with that. The misunderstanding was later cleared and he was let go with full respect and forgiveness.
12. Only actor to win Academy Awards in Hindi cinema
Irrfan is the only actor who has received the prestigious Academy Awards, he has received 2 of them during his lifetime as an actor, one for Slumdog Millionaire(2008) and Life of Pie(2012). Also, his film Lunch Box won the Cine Choice Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Though he is long gone, he is in our hearts forever and will always be. His contribution to the Bollywood industry is irreplaceable and unforgettable. He was one of the gems who had mastered his craft and would perform without any extra effort and would look seamless performing the roles he played.
Read also – 18 Facts about Vicky Kaushal