Indian actor Irrfan Khan dies aged 53
Acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan has died at the age of 53.
Irrfan Khan, known for his nuanced and understated performances, was seen as one of India’s most talented actors by many.
In 2018, the actor revealed he had a neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer. He later underwent treatment in a London hospital for his illness, which affects cells that release hormones into the bloodstream.
He had been in intensive care in a Mumbai hospital with a colon infection in the days before his death.
Over his career, he worked his way up from television to lead roles in films such as Lunchbox and Piku. He was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in Western cinema, featuring in award-winning films such as The Warrior, Slumdog Millionaire, the Life of Pi and more.
“Every role you have to approach differently, you know,” he said in an interview in 2010. “It tells you, the script tells you whether or not you have to prepare, like Namesake I had to prepare a lot. There were a few films I did here which never needed any kind of preparation. Sometimes a director tells me: ‘Don’t even read the script, just come, do what I say.’ And that works you know, so every film is different, every part is different.”
He was so highly respected, director Wes Anderson once wrote him a part just so he could work with him.
Bollywood stars and politicians rushed to pay tribute to Khan on social media.
Actor Raveena Tandon tweeted that he was a “fantastic co-star, an actor par excellence, and a beautiful human being”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described his death as “a loss to the world of cinema and theatre”.
“He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace,” he tweeted.
This report was produced and edited by Al Jazeera NewsFeed’s Seena Khalil.