Irrfan Khan, Indian actor dies after battling cancer

Irrfan Khan, an Indian actor who brought a modern sensibility to recent hit films and hard roles in Hollywood movies such as “Life of Pi” and “The Namesake”, died on Wednesday at age 54.

Irrfan Khan was an Indian actor, known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema, in addition to British and American films.

In a career spanning over 30 years and featuring in more than 50 domestic films, Khan received numerous awards, including a National Film Award and Film fare Awards in four categories.

The death, after a prolonged battle with cancer, was confirmed by a spokesman who said Khan was surrounded by family at the time.

“He fought the many battles that came with it,” the spokesman said in a statement, referring to the diagnosis of Khan’s rare cancer in 2018.

Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in Western cinema, following in the footsteps of crossover pioneers such as Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth and Om Puri.

Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan in the western desert state of Rajasthan, in a family with no ties to cinema, the actor recalled in interviews that as children, he and his siblings were not allowed to watch movies.

The only exception was when a visiting uncle took them to the theater.

READ ALSO COVID-19: Enugu govt. confirms new positive case

“An incredible talent,” said Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, among the tributes on Twitter that followed Khan’s death.

“A gracious colleague. A prolific contributor to the world of cinema .. left us too soon creating a huge vacuum.”