Irrfan Khan: You May Be Gone, But Not Forgotten

The name, 'Irrfan Khan' was not only known in the Indian regions but also in the international territories as well. With his power-packed and intense acting skills, he emerged out from nowhere and went on to engrave his name forever in the movie industry, both nationally and globally.

Aged at 54, Irrfan Khan took his last breath in Mumbai on 29th April 2020 after battling with the neuroendocrine tumor for 2 years. The world went through a personal trauma soon after the news of his demise broke on the internet along with different news channels. Condolences from all across the globe started to fill the internet, be it his fans or the co-stars who worked with him during his course of life. 

From Angelina Jolie to Tigmanshu Dhulia, everyone was disheartened from this loss that might never be replaced or recovered. 

Sahabzada Was Born in Jaipur  

Away from the nepotism, Irrfan Ali Khan was born in Jaipur on January 7th, 1967. For all those who don't know, he intentionally dropped the 'Sahabzada' from his name as it pointed to his family's privileged past.

Irrfan Was an Irrefutable Cricketing Talent  

This might come as a surprise to you, but Irrfan's sheer focus was to become a cricketer, representing his country. Being an all-rounder by skill, he even made to C.V Raman trophy but couldn't be a part of it as he was lacking the 200 bucks that were required to reach the city for playing the sport. This was the moment where he realized that cricket can never be his field of career. 

The National School of Drama: A Game Changer

After quitting his cricketing dreams, Irrfan now wanted to turn as a renowned actor due to which he started gaining interest in theatres. This determination of his made him applied in one of the most privileged acting schools in the country, "National School of Drama". He applied for a scholarship and eventually got selected.

"Qismat ki ek khaas baat hoti hai… Ki woh palatti hai" – Gunday

But despite graduating from NSD, paths don't seem to look easy for Irrfan. He managed to star in multiple Indian television soaps where he even directed Nawazuddin Siddique in an episode of the famous show, "Banegi Apni Baat".

Salaam Bombay: His First Breakthrough on Big Screen  

He went on to do television soaps for years after which his first break on the big screen came in the form of 'Salaam Bombay'. The movie got nominated for the Oscars as well which was directed by Mira Nair. 

Bollywood Started Realizing Irrfan's Potential as an Actor  

His major breakthrough came in the form of the movie, 'The Warrior' which was directed by Asif Kapadia. Being a new face, even the director was baffled towards Irrfan's acting which soon got effaced by Irrfan himself. With his brilliant acting, Irrfan started to gain appreciation from all across the world where the movie was also starred in several international film festivals. 

Soon after this, Maqbool happened which gave Irrfan a chance to work with probably the best lot of Bollywood superstars of our decade, including – Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, and etcetera. He turned out to be flawless again which made him a firm face by now in Bollywood. 

Irrfan Khan: Actor Extraordinaire  

Apart from his exceptional work in Indian cinema, Irrfan became India's face in the west, starring in many movies like Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pie, The Amazing Spiderman, Jurrasic World, and many others. 

"Asli khubsoorti taareef ki mohtaaj nahin hoti… Uske liye to aankhon ki wah wah hi kaafi hai" – Karwaan 

Irrfan Khan: Gone Too Soon  

After a long fight with cancer, Irrfan Khan left us disheartened and teary eyed as he passed away on April 29th, 2020.

"Darya bhi main, darakht bhi main. Jhelum bhi main, Chinar bhi main. Dair bhi hoon, haram bhi hoon, shia bhi hoon, sunni bhi hoon… Main hun pandit… Main tha, main hoon aur main hi rahoonga" – Haider

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