Bollywood Actor Irrfan Khan Death News: Actor Irrfan Khan died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. A statement from his representative said that the actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer. He was 53. The “Maqbool” actor was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. He had lost his mother in Jaipur just four days ago. Irrfan was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital with a colon infection. “It’s saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with
it.
“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. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, ‘As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it’,” the statement read.
Born in a village near Jaipur, Irrfan’s mother had a royal pedigree but his father had his own story to tell. Irrfan, who was the eldest among his three siblings, entered the National School of Drama after his father’s demise.
Mira Nair was the first to notice his talent in 1988 and had cast him for a role in Salaam Bombay; but his role could not pass the test of editing table and was cut short. The two went on to work in the 2006 critically acclaimed The Namesake again, and I Love You for the New York director’s segment.
After working in the television industry in the 80’s for years, Irrfan finally found his big break in The Warrior by Aasif Kapadia. His career progressed slowly – in India, where he went from performing character roles to headlining films, and then became the West’s most celebrated face of India. At home and abroad he received steady kudos as a steady actor whose performances were lifelike, dependable.
His most successful films in India include his debut, Salaam Bombay being nominated for the Academy Award! Maqbool (2004), Paan Singh Tomar (2011), Haider (2014), Gunday (2014), Piku (2015) and Hindi Medium (2017).
He also tasted massive success in Hollywood but never liked the idea of saying goodbye to Bollywood or India. In an interview in 2016, he had said that he never liked the idea of leaving India although he was getting good offers at that time. A younger Irrfan would have given that idea of working full time in Hollywood a serious thought but not at his age then.