“Light Years Ahead” – that’s what Syska LED Lights was trying to convey through his brand ambassador – Irrfan Khan.
But who ever knew, those light-years are going to fade soon as we lost the most excellent veteran actor. He was known in India for his umpteen and finest acting in Bollywood movies and throughout the world and has made his mark through his sheer talent in Hollywood.
His talent made the world admire him for his qualities, not only the looks and who was once nobody gradually known by everybody. People will remember him as an actor, leader, player, and musician after death. A gangster whose gaze makes an all-around bow in fear. A fighter who fought, fought, and fought his last battle with the rarely diagnosed disease in the end. Doctors termed the disease a Neuroendocrine tumor and finally got defeated by life.
Irrfan Khan is the greatest artist who will forever thrive in our cherished memories and poignant movies. He passed away on 29th April 2020 at the age of fifty-three, to the speechless awe and shock of countless the world over. Recently, he entertained us through Angrezi Medium, his last movie, a sequel of Hindi Medium, where one can see the strength and love of familial bonds.
He was once a protagonist, then became a twenty-minute role player. Sometimes he was a side actor with a few crisp lines. His smile and words were such that one always thought of him as the protagonist through an uncrowned one. He was oblivious to the arrogance of fame, quite unlike his fellow counterparts. His smile still blossoms like a lotus rising from the deep tangle of the chaos prevailing in today’s time. He was such a man who shone under the limelight but never let the light blind him.
He has featured in more than fifty domestic films. It won him the prestigious National Film Award and Filmfare Awards in four categories. Not to talk of numerous others that remain as a mark of his contribution to the world of cinema. He has made heart glitter not only in Hindi cinema but also in American and British films. Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 2011. Film critics designated him as the finest actor in Indian cinema in golden letters.
He enjoyed a very humble childhood and had had memorable adventures with his best friend, Satish Sharma. They were once considered the best cricketers in their district. Later Irrfan got selected for the CK Nayudu tournament for emerging players under twenty-three years. Lack of funds shattered his hopes of becoming a cricketer as he could not turn up for the tournament. But, it seems the great power had something much glorious stored for him.
He was pursuing his MA degree, and though undecided, had great plans for earning a good livelihood. It was then when Irrfan Khan earned a scholarship to study at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi in the year 1984. While mastering the art of acting, he met his future wife, Sutapa Sikdar, a fellow NSD graduate, a renowned screenplay and scriptwriter. He attributes his success to her. They have two proud sons, Babil and Ayan.
Most of us think that one can change the world by doing something extra. This extra could be something away from our work, which keeps us preoccupied most of our lives. Irrfan sought to change the world for the better through his art, passion, and work. He read as many books as he could and tried to rediscover his script from different angles through his in-depth knowledge of the character and the society he had to act.
He would go on rehearsing day and night at his home before the final day of the shooting. So wholly lost in perfecting his art, he was, that the intrinsic loquaciousness of his household didn’t distract or draw him the least. When he worked on a film, he and his wife made the earth shake through their relentless brainstorming on the script and screenplay. They will rewrite new ways of imagining each scene until both reach the same point of perfection. Banegi Apni Baat is one perfect example of their togetherness and hard work..
His films like Lunchbox and Piku make the viewer realize the extraordinary in their ordinary life. Such were his masterpieces intricately sketched and painted with his heartfelt acting. Life of Pi, Hindi Medium, The Amazing Spider-Man, Talvar, his masterpieces are listless, it seems. His films had grossed $3.643 billion at the worldwide box office by 2017, a year before he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor. Thus, the bright, illuminating yet grounded son of the late Jagirdar Khan and Begum Khan, Irrfan’s beloved mother, who had passed away on 29th April 2020. May his soul rest in peace. The legend made his presence felt from 5th October 1952 – 29th April 2020.
-Rajshwii Bhattacharya
Follow us on FB: https://www.facebook.com/replytosos
Contribute to Story Of Souls, an initiative where we invite people to share their stories with us. We want people to “write to heal.” It is genuinely an Online Platform where you can share your real-life stories.
You can also visit our Youtube channel.
