Irrfan Khan has unfortunately passed away today. The actor, who has been a mainstay in Indian Cinema for decades and also found considerable success in Hollywood was only 53 years old. He had been admitted to the intensive care unit of Mumbai’s Kokilaben hospital on Tuesday with a colon infection.
In 2018, Irrfan Khan revealed that he had been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour. But over the past year or so, he seemed to be on the road to recovery after extensive treatment. Things looked especially positive when he began to shoot for director Homi Adajania’s Angrezi Medium, a film that would’ve been playing in theatres right now if it wasn’t for the COVID-19.
To those only familiar with English movies, Irrfan Khan will be remembered for his supporting roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pie and Jurassic World. But his great performances have always come out of India. The likes of Piku, The Lunchbox and Talvar showcase his tremendous dramatic chops and his comedic flair as well.
Over the past hour or so, many have taken to social media to express just how much the actor meant to them, not just as a performer but as a comrade.
It’s so sad to hear about #IrfanKhan passing away. I have learned so much from him as an actor just by sharing screen space with him. A truly gifted actor. And a wonderful man. He really has #GoneTooSoon I’m sure the heavens have saved a special place for him.
— Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) April 29, 2020
Thank you always for the movies, for your impossibly elegant performances, for that wicked sense of humour and for fighting so long and so hard. Salute @irrfank. https://t.co/Y4ypI4jKnj
— Anupama Chopra (@anupamachopra) April 29, 2020
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. Here he is, laughing. pic.twitter.com/8eAsSOO9Ie
— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) April 29, 2020
