Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan (Hindi pronunciation: [ɪrfaːn xaːn]) (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 1967 – 29 April 2020) was a prominent figure in Indian cinema, as well as British and American films. His career, spanning over 30 years, was characterized by numerous awards and accolades, including a National Film Award, an Asian Film Award, and six Filmfare Awards. In 2011, he was bestowed with the Padma Shri, which is India's fourth highest civilian honor. Posthumously in 2021, he was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. He made his film debut with a small role in Salaam Bombay! (1988) and later broke barriers with starring roles in dramas Haasil (2003) and Maqbool (2004). He notably served pivotal roles in The Namesake (2006) and Life in a... Metro (2007), and Paan Singh Tomar (2011). He made appearances in international Hollywood movies, exhibiting his strong acting prowess in films like The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Life of Pi (2012), Jurassic World (2015), and Inferno (2016). His last appearance was in Angrezi Medium (2020). As of 2017, his films had grossed $3.643 billion (₹237 billion) at the worldwide box office. Irrfan was an influential star in Hindi and English-language cinema. He unfortunately died on 29 April 2020 from neuroendocrine cancer, which he had been battling since March 2018.

Irrfan Khan was born on 7 January 1967 in Tonk, Rajasthan. In his formative years, he showed interest in acting, influenced by his maternal uncle, who was a theater artist in Jodhpur. He graduated with an MA in Jaipur then proceeded to the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi in 1984 to study acting. He was quite the idolizer of Rajesh Khanna, having visited his home in 1984. Soon after his graduation, Irrfan began his acting journey by participating in small roles and television serials. Some of the critically acclaimed films in which he appeared in include Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990), Such a Long Journey (1998), and The Warrior (2001), where he served as the lead actor. His versatility saw him feature in leading roles, supporting roles, and even villain roles over his career. In 2012, he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his fantastic performance in Paan Singh Tomar. His life and career were unfortunately cut short by his cancer diagnosis in 2018.