He surpassed expectations each time he came on screen

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Irrfan Khan lost his battle with neuroendocrine tumour on Wednesday in a Mumbai hospital. A critics’ darling, directors’ favourite and viewers’ delight, he not only straddled the world of commercial and artistic cinema but also Bollywood and Hollywood.

(January 7, 1967 – 29 April 2020)

Nonika Singh

“Main tha, main hoon aur main hi rahunga….” This dialogue from his film “Haider” truly sums up how the incredibly gifted Irrfan Khan will remain ever immortal. Yet since flesh is mortal, the versatile actor finally lost his battle with neuroendocrine tumour as he passed away in a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted for colon infection.

One of the greatest actors that Indian cinema has seen, he did not carry a chip on his shoulder although who can deny the brilliance of his craft with which he not only straddled the world of commercial and artistic cinema but also Bollywood and Hollywood. Every time one enquired about an actor who has made a mark in international waters, the answer was Irrfan. Seen in movies like “Life of Pi”, “The Namesake”, “Jurassic World”, “Inferno”, “A Mighty Heart” and “Amazing Spiderman”, he made his presence felt in many international blockbusters. His film “Lunchbox” in which he played the middle-aged lover with classic subtle inflections became a huge hit overseas.

His first solo superhit “Hindi Medium” in mainstream cinema came rather late, at the ripe age of 50. Its sequel “Angrezi Medium” would go down as his last tryst with the celluloid screen and one in which, despite ailing health, he did not disappoint either his fans or critics. Spurred by tremendous self-belief, hard work and exemplary ability, he became one with his characters across a wide range.

A product of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, success did not come to him overnight. Industry watchers have been witness to his struggle, of his early television days as well as times when his movies like “Paan Singh Tomar” struggled to find a release. Later it fetched him a National Award and firmed up his unrivalled creative space. Films like “Piku” endeared him to his admirers further. A critics’ darling, directors’ favourite and viewers’ delight, he delighted us as much with his comic timing in movies like “Life in a Metro” as his in-depth understanding of his characters as in “Maqbool”.

Offering nuanced portrayals to the point of perfection, he understood the demands of commercial Hindi cinema too. Yet he did not believe in formulaic representations and went on record to say, “Don’t try to make a formula out of things or seek short-cut answers through narrow constructs.”

Much of what he said and has been said about him will forever ring true. Can we, who feel his loss with a heavy heart today, draw comfort from the Margaret Mitchell quote that he posted after learning about his debilitating disease in 2018: “Life’s under no obligation to give us what we expect.”

For a man who surpassed expectations each time he came on screen, cinephiles would certainly be obliged for life’s gift that Irrfan was and will always be, even while wondering what more he could have bequeathed to the art and craft of cinema.