"I Suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not having a moment to say goodbye." - Life of Pie (2012)
And here I am trying to take that moment when a character who tells story become a story itself. Irrfan Khan died aged 53 on 29 April after long battle with neuroendocrine cancer and left everyone disheartened.
He was one of the finest actor of film industry and his roles itself made us feel more connected to the story he was living on screen. I remember him first from television only, he was show host of "Mano ya na Mano" on star one.
Recently, I saw him playing the role of 'senapati' in "Chanakya" serial and my whole family got excited to see him on screen, that is what he did, his mere presence in anything make us glad and proud of our choice.
He graduated from National school of drama in 1987 and started his career from television industry in various serials like Shrikant, Chandrakanta, Bharat ek Khoj, sparsh, and many more.
His first film was Salaam Bombay(1988) based on the lives of street children in Mumbai directed by Mira Nair which was also a nomination for Oscars that year.
Then he engaged with feature films like Ek doctor ki maut (1990) playing small roles in films. He became a known face of industry soon and gained more recognition after doing films like Haasil (2003) and winning Filmfare award for best actor in a negative role playing Ranjvijay Singh.
The film Maqbool (2003 )was adapted from Shakespeare's play Macbeth and Irrfan played the role of Macbeth as miyan Maqbool. Miyan Maqbool taught us how some ambition mixed with lust leave us haunting.
Irrfan always did a film for its story and not for its commercial success.
The Namesake (2006) by Mira Nair in which he played a lead role was one of a kind. The story of Indian Immigrant couple in U.S.A who tries to balance their life living in cross cultural atmosphere, trying to make their children friendly with their own culture. If you are lover of cinema which tells a different story, it's a must watch.
Irrfan has also done comedy drama movies like Sunday, Krazzy four (2008) and Billu(2009) in which he played a role of barber and loved by all.
No genre is left where he didn't performed, be it action thriller like knock out(2010), Ye saali Zindagi (2011) or Horror like hisss (2010).
In 2012 Irrfan became a Hero audience always desired, In Paan Singh Tomar
(2012) who was an Indian soldier and an international athelete turned rebel due to property dispute in which his mother was murdered and police didn't helped him. The film got National award for best feature film and Irrfan got National award for best actor.
Life of Pie (2012) made Irrfan international star based on Yann Martel book. It is an adventure drama which makes you think about real faith and in the end how everything is an act letting go.
Irrfan was loved for the role of Saajan Fernandez in The lunchbox (2013) which is also one of his most appreciated film that won many international awards, Saajan is an accountant who recieves wrong lunchbox by Mumbai tiffinwalas one day in which he founds a letter written by wife for her husband, even after knowing this mistake, they built a friendship and share their lives via lunchbox letters. It tells you million of stories of real lives we are aware of in a beautiful manner.
Piku (2015) is another film of Irrfan with a different storyline, where many role of women was questioned through a father daughter relationship in which Irrfan played the role of taxi business owner helping them to reach Kolkata to sell ancestral home.
Irrfan also did a role in Jazbaa (2015) which is comeback film of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan playing a role of inspector ending the film saying famous dialogue " Mohabbat hai isliye jaane diya, Zid Hoti toh baahon main Hoti."
Talvar (2015) was another film in which Irrfan played a role of CBI officer based on Arushi Talvar famous murder mystery.
Madaari (2016) is movie which tells a disheartening tale of one father whose small son died when a bridge collapsed while he was returning from school. Irrfan Khan as father kidnapped Home minister's son and made all individuals involved guilty of their corruption in construction of bridge. It's a pure masterpiece of talent and storytelling.
Hindi medium (2017) is the most popular film of Irrfan Khan as it's subject of school education in government sector. He played a role of businesses man who crossed heights for enrolling her daughter in the top English medium school of Delhi. This films showed many aspects of lives in poorness and richness, and that the most rich person is the one who is rich at heart. Qarib Qarib single (2017) made Irrfan Khan famous as chilled out Yoginder aka Yogi living life in his own terms enjoying Little things with his own philosophies and finding love again.
After a huge success of Hindi medium came a sequel of it as Angrezi medium (2020) Irrfan as a single parent of her daughter and a middle class man wants to complete her daughter childhood dream of going foreign country which she achieves with her academics but Irrfan ruined it for her and then was ready to do anything to complete it.
It is the last movie of the great actor for whom it's said that his eyes did most of the acting when he performs.
Now those eyes are closed forever but ours will be always open to see him in movies and roles he did, telling us a different story everytime relating to our lives. He will always be remembered through his work.
