Sophia Michaels
Irrfan Khan, the Bollywood star who also starred in films like Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, died Wednesday at the age of 53.
No cause of death was revealed, but the actor was recently admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital due to a colon infection, his reps said. Khan previously battled high-grade neuroendocrine cancer in March 2018, CNN reports.
“It’s saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away,” Khan’s reps said in a statement. “Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought ’til the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him.”
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Irrfan Khan’s demise is 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.”
One of Bollywood’s most beloved and popular actors, Khan made his film debut with a small role Academy Award-nominated Salaam Bombay! in 1988. Over the decades that followed, the prolific actor starred in dozens of Bollywood productions, winning India’s National Film Awards’ Silver Lotus Award for Best Actor for his role in 2012’s Paan Singh Tomar.
After starring in the BAFTA-winning British film The Warrior in 2001, the Indian actor caught the eye of both indie filmmakers and Hollywood, appearing in Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart in 2003 and Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited in 2007.
For American audiences, Khan’s breakout came with his role as a police detective in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He later appeared in the HBO series In Treatment, Life of Pi, The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World and the DaVinci Code sequel Inferno.
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow tweeted: “Deeply sad to have lost #IrrfanKhan. A thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him, even in pain. In our last correspondence, he asked me to remember ‘the wonderful aspects of our existence’ in the darkest of days.”
The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues.. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/vjhd5aoFhc
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 29, 2020
A grateful fan of #IrrfanKhan here. Gone too soon. When he is on screen, you can’t take your eyes off of him. He lives on in his films. pic.twitter.com/aA9RAjsxSl
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 29, 2020
Featured via: Rollingstone
