Last Updated on April 29, 2020, 9:26 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Irrfan Khan, an acclaimed Indian actor, who acted in international hits such as Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire and The Amazing Spider-Man, has died aged 53 after fighting a long battle with cancer.
Khan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour back in the year 2018, died after he was admitted in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday for colon infection.
The deceased Indian actor was 53 years old.
Irrfan’s publicist said in a statement that Irrfan was someone who fought till the very end, a strong soul and always inspired everyone who came close to him.
A statement released by Irrfan’s family said that Khan had spent his final hours “surrounded by his family, his love for whom he most cared about.
The actor already had spent several months in the United Kingdom undergoing cancer treatment last year.
Khan’s mother Saeeda Begum had died four days ago on April 25.
Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan in the state of Rajasthan on January 7, 1967, Khan had discovered an early passion for acting and had studied at the prestigious National School of Drama.
However, his training in Shakespeare and Chekhov did not do much to ease Khan’s entry into the Hindi film industry.
The film industry was largely focused at that time on making song-and-dance blockbuster movies.
Even after he finally landed a role in Salaam Bombay directed by first-timer Mira Nair in 1998, his part was slashed down to a cameo.
He had told India’s Open magazine that he had sobbed for hours when he found out about the cuts.
Khan said that it had changed something within him. He was prepared for anything after that.
After that, Television roles followed, and a handful of small parts in Bollywood, where producers dismissed him continuously for looking too unconventional for playing the lead.
Then, British director Asif Kapadia cast him as a mercenary in The Warrior, this came when he was ready to quit acting, and frustrated over the direction of his acting career.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
