Irrfan Khan: The magician on celluloid!

The nation mourns the loss of an impeccable actor Irrfan Khan. The actor, who worked predominantly in Hindi films, also has credits of American and British films under his belt. The National Award-winning actor left the world on Wednesday after battling colon infection. He is survived by two sons and wife Sutapa Sikdar.

Mumbai: April 29, 2020, will always be remembered as a tragic day in the world of Hindi cinema as the nation woke up to a heartwrenching news of Irrfan Khan's death. It seems like the industry came to a standstill after a tweet from Soojit Sircar's end this morning shook the film industry to its core.

A solitaire among a pack of gemstones left us early in life and needless to say it is really difficult to gulp down his death news at a go. Pangs of grief and an overflow of bitter-sweet emotions are finding its way out as we're trying to let the heartbreaking news sink in.

Who knew that we didn't have much time left to celebrate this one-of-a-kind magician on celluloid?

Born as Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan, in 1967 in a small village named Khajuria in Rajasthan, the Namesake actor had absolutely no connections to the world of glitz and glamour. Father Yasin Ali and mother Saida Begum ran a tire business to meet their ends. But, Irrfan soon realised that acting in films was his only calling.

With a heart filled with hopes and a passion for the craft, Irrfan set his foot in the city of dreams. They say, Mumbai is infectious and surviving in the city isn't an easy task. But the city didn't disappoint him. Initially, he started out acting in several television serials like Chanakya, Bharat Ek Khoj and Chandrakant. After a while, Irrfan caught the eyes of director Mira Nair. She cast him in her film Salam Bombay! However, his role in the film was later edited, but nonetheless the actor demonstrated his unparalleled craft in his first film.

Irfan then went on to act in Basu Chatterjee's Kamala Ki Mat, besides a number of parallel films like Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Drishti, Keramati Kot. With time fame and popularity which was still elusive to him kissed his feet after he appeared as a lead in The Warrior directed by a London based filmmaker Asif Kapadia. Slowly and steadily he got the much-awaited recognition in international film circuits. Besides international film festivals, Irrfan cemented his place in Bollywood too.

Meanwhile, the actor tied the knot with the love of his life Sutapa Sikdar on February 25, 1995. Their love story roots back to the days of the National School of Drama.

With a hunger for meaty roles and an intention to break the monotony, Irrfan went on to portray varied characters, some of which are still considered to be the finest of all.

In 2015, the creative genius Irrfan got his first break as a lead in Bollywood flick titled Rog. After watching Irfan's impeccable performance in Rog, a film critic once said that his eyes speak louder than his dialogue. With every frame and in every situation, the actor justifies his worth and talent.

While a section of the people still counts SRK, Aamir and Salman as the biggest Khans in the filmdom, Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan labeled him as "The Biggest Khan." A few of his notable films include Namesake, The Lunch Box, Life of Pi, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, Paan Singh Tomar and many more.

Undoubtedly, he has created a steady fanbase for himself without any eyewash, promotions or announcements.

When both real and reel life were blooming like cherry blossoms and everything seemed perfect, a deadly cancer put Irrfan's life at a stake. It was 2018. Early in March, the actor was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. He sought treatment in the UK for over several months. The actor responded to treatment.

With an undying love for films, he began shooting for Angrezi Medium at the same time. Balancing health and work was a tough job indeed. However, with the magic of medical inventions and an overpowering love and blessings from well-wishers, Irrfan came out victoriously from the life-threatening battle.

Fast forward to 2020, Irrfan's Angrezi Medium released at a time when COVID-19 forced a complete shutdown of cinema halls. However, it received rave reviews on streaming websites.

Recently, the actor mourned the loss of his mother Saeeda Begum who breathed her last on Saturday in Jaipur. Two days after, on Tuesday, the actor was rushed to a hospital in Mumbai as his health condition deteriorated due to a colon infection. And, alas, on Wednesday Irrfan left the world silently.

"Be kind to each other... and yes wait for me" was Irrfan's last message to fans.

One of his sayings read, "I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go. But, what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye!"

And, yes, we are hurt Irrfan!

ETV Bharat deeply regrets the loss of an extraordinary gem.