Actor Irrfan Khan, known for his appearances in Jurassic World, The Life of Pi, The Amazing Spider-Man and Slumdog Millionaire, has died at age 53. Khan was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumor in 2018 and had been undergoing treatment for it in London. He was admitted to a Mumbai hospital yesterday where he succumbed to an infection related to his illness.
His death was confirmed by his family, who released a statement saying:
“Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace.”
Khan was considered of the most talented Indian actors of his generation and is a bona fide Bollywood icon. But his fame spread far beyond his home country, being sought after for roles by many top directors. For example, Wes Anderson once wrote a part for Khan into The Darjeeling Limited just to have an excuse to work with him. And after his much-praised appearance in Slumdog Millionaire, director Danny Boyle said:
“He has an instinctive way of finding the ‘moral center’ of any character, so that in Slumdog, we believe the policeman might actually conclude that Jamal is innocent.”
Since 2010, he found mainstream success in the domestic entertainment industry. In 2012, he played Dr. Rajit Ratha in The Amazing Spider-Man, the adult version of the lead character in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and had the key role of Simon Masrani in Jurassic World.
His death resulted in an outpouring of emotions on social media. Indian fans familiar with his work in Bollywood have been remembering his words and performances, while the President of India, Netflix India and Riz Ahmed have all posted tributes to his long, varied and critically acclaimed career:
Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Irrfan Khan. A rare talent and a brilliant actor, his diverse roles and remarkable performances will remain etched in our memories. A big loss to the world of cinema and millions of film lovers. Condolences to his family & admirers.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) April 29, 2020
"Main tha, main hoon aur main hi rahunga."
We'll never forget.
RIP Irrfan Khan.
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) April 29, 2020
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. pic.twitter.com/BwobeLvNLn
— Riz Ahmed (@rizwanahmed) April 29, 2020
We lost a Legendary Actor and a Great Human today. You will always be remembered #IrrfanKhan.
May Your Soul Rest in Peace? pic.twitter.com/v0uL7OHDp6— T A N G ? (@HussainSayss) April 29, 2020
The way everyone is so deeply affected by this shows what an impactful person he was. You will live forever in our hearts ❤️ #IrrfanKhan
— Ankita (@ankitatweetsyo) April 29, 2020
#IrrfanKhan's screen presence was incredible. The Warrior is the one that made the world realise. But he brought sincerity and emotional heart to anything he touched – even in a small role in an oddity like The Darjeeling Limited. Such terrible news to have lost him at only 53. pic.twitter.com/7V7ZNyoenK
— Samira Ahmed (@SamiraAhmedUK) April 29, 2020
RIP Irrfan Khan, 1967-2020.
