इरफ़ान ख़ान
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Awards
Irrfan Khan won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Paan Singh Tomar in 2011. He gained global recognition for roles in Slumdog Millionaire 2008 and Life of Pi 2012, which together won 12 Oscars. Khan also received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, and died from a colon infection on April 29, 2020, in Mumbai.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Irrfan Khan — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Irrfan Khan by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Irrfan Khan — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Selected for the CK Nayudu Tournament in his early 20s, Irrfan Khan could not afford the expenses and did not attend. That turn of events pushed him toward acting. Born on January 7, 1967 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, he grew up in a Pashto-speaking Muslim family. His father, Jagirdar Khan, ran a tire business, and his mother, Begum Khan, came from the Tonk Hakim family. In 1984, he earned a scholarship to the National School of Drama in New Delhi.
The biographical sports drama Paan Singh Tomar 2011 marked Irrfan Khan’s breakthrough, earning him the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. He then starred in The Lunchbox 2013, which received critical praise. His international career included roles in The Warrior 2001, The Namesake 2006, The Darjeeling Limited 2007, Slumdog Millionaire 2008, and Life of Pi 2012, among others. He also played Rajit Ratha in The Amazing Spider-Man 2012 and Masrani in Jurassic World 2015. As of 2017, his films had grossed $3.643 billion worldwide.
Khan married Sutapa Sikdar in 1995. She is a Hindu Brahmin and a film producer and dialogue writer, known for films like Kahaani and Madaari. They had two sons, Babil and Ayaan. Khan was outspoken about religion, arguing against fundamentalism on Arnab Goswami’s talk show, which drew criticism and threats. He was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in 2018.
Irrfan Khan’s legacy lies in bridging Indian and Hollywood cinema, being one of the first Indian actors to achieve mainstream success in both industries. His portrayal of Paan Singh Tomar remains iconic, and his performance in The Lunchbox is still celebrated. He was awarded the Padma Shri in arts, and his films collectively won 12 Oscars. Khan is remembered for his versatility and depth, influencing a generation of actors.
The complete filmography of Irrfan Khan — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Irrfan Khan — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Irrfan Khan — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Often Visualized Giving My Mother This Big Black Suitcase Crammed with Notes Like Those Gangsters Do in Our Masala Flicks.
We’re yet to Make Inroads into the West and the Way Chinese Cinema Is Made. I Mean, Long Before Ang Lee’s ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’, Bruce Lee Had Made an Impact on the Western Audience with His ‘Enter the Dragon’. Indian Cinema Has yet to Make That Kind of Impact. but We’re Getting There.
Little-known facts about Irrfan Khan — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
After arriving in Bombay, Irrfan Khan worked as an air conditioner repairman. One of his first repair jobs was at the home of superstar Rajesh Khanna.
He was offered Matt Damon’s part in Interstellar and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s role in The Martian, but turned both down due to scheduling conflicts.
Four days before his own death on April 29, 2020, Khan’s 95-year-old mother died in Jaipur. He could not attend her funeral due to India’s COVID-19 lockdown.
He was the first Bollywood actor to star in two films that won the Academy Award for Best Director: Slumdog Millionaire 2008 and Life of Pi 2012. Both also won Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.
Irrfan also said no to Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies 2008. His biggest regret was missing out on Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar 2014 because his smaller India-based project The Lunchbox was being shot at the same time.
He auditioned for an extra role in the James Bond movie Octopussy, which was shot in Rajasthan, but was unable to shoot because he arrived late on set.
He had two sons, Babil Khan and Ayaan Khan, with wife Sutapa Sikdar.
In two unrelated movies, Irrfan Khan speaks of Richard Parker: the tiger in Life of Pi 2012 and Spiderman’s father in The Amazing Spider-Man 2012.
Two of his films, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, collectively won 12 Oscars.
His wife Sutapa is a dialogue writer for films.
He starred in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s shelved 2004 film The Killing of a Porn Filmaker co-starring Konkana Sen Sharma, where he played a porn filmmaker who discovers he was Adolf Hitler in a past life.
As a child, he went to see the shooting of Ganga Ke Saugandh and Jal Mahal, both filmed in his hometown Jaipur.
He was offered a role in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Sean Connery, but the deal fell through.
He was set to star in the Hollywood movie Indian Summer about Lady Edwina Mountbatten’s alleged affair with Jawaharlal Nehru, but the film was scrapped due to money problems and government concerns.
In 2015, he turned down Ridley Scott’s The Martian to instead star in the charming love story Piku.
He was signed for the lead role in Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist but opted out because he did not want to play a terrorist.
He was signed for an important role in Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday but opted out.
He was signed for the film Tezaab: Acid of Love but opted out.
He was signed for Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children but was replaced by Ronit Roy.
He auditioned for a role in Ram Gopal Varma’s Daud, which Manoj Bajpai ended up playing.
He starred in Navneet Baj Saini’s shelved 2007 film Teersri Manzil, later retitled Bangkok Blues, co-starring Lucky Ali.
Mira Nair had signed him for a very important role in Shantaram 2007 starring Amitabh Bachchan and Johnny Depp, but the film was shelved.
In 2009, Anurag Kashyap planned a biopic on revolutionary poet Avtar Singh Sandhu Pash with Irrfan Khan playing the lead, but the project was shelved.
He was signed for the film Gangor aka Choli Ke Peeche but was replaced by Adil Hussain.
He starred in Anil Sharma’s shelved 2004 production Phaansi, directed by Chandrakant Barve and co-starring Sunil Shetty.
He was approached to star in Anjan Das’s film Faltu 2005 but later had to back out.
He starred in Mahesh Bhatt’s shelved 2004 production based on Abdul Karim Telgi, directed by Pooja Bhatt.
He starred in Sudhir Mishra’s shelved film The Nawab The Nautch Girl and The John Company co-starring Saif Ali Khan and Chitrangada Singh.
He starred in the shelved 1998 film Kanoon Ki Zanjeer directed by Dilip Gautam and Baal Nave.
He starred in Jaya Pradha’s shelved 2006 home production, a suspense thriller directed by Kitu Gosh co-starring Jaya Pradha.
In 2016, Sanjay Leela Bhansali planned a biopic on poet Sahir Ludhianvi titled Gustakhiyan with Irrfan Khan in the lead, but it did not materialize.
He signed a film titled Fanne Khan directed by Shivam Nair but was later replaced by Randeep Hooda; the film was shelved in 2014.
He starred in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s shelved 2006 period drama Ghulaami co-starring Sunny Deol and Sameera Reddy.
He starred in Dheeraj Kumar’s shelved 2003 film Behind The Painted Veil directed by Roger Christian.
He starred in the shelved 2013 movie Begum Samru with Rani Mukherjee, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia.
Sudhir Mishra planned a film in 2003 titled ‘Who’s Speaking’ based on a phone call incident, with Irrfan Khan signed and Ajay Devgan approached; it might have been a remake of Phone Booth, which Irrfan later did in Knock Out 2010.
He signed Sujoy Ghosh’s Durga Rani Singh in 2015, but it was eventually made as Kahani 2 with Arjun Rampal stepping in.
He signed Yaara in 2014 but was replaced by Vidyut Jamwal, who played both the younger and older versions.
He starred in the shelved 2013 movie Lucky Unlucky with Mallika Sherawat, directed by Sudhir Mishra.
He was signed for the film Kohraam 1999 but was dropped; the role of a terrorist went to Ali Khan.
He starred in the shelved 1990 movie Pushpanjali Productions untitled film with Poornima Naidu.
He was known as Mohammed Irfan Khan while at FTII.
He starred in the shelved 2004 movie Kutumb with Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Abhishek Bachchan, based on The Godfather.
He starred in Ragini and Vibha Bhatnagar’s shelved 2005 untitled film with Amisha Patel and Dino Morea.
He starred in the shelved 2008 movie Jail Break with Mahesh Bhupathi, based on Charles Sobhraj.
He signed Once Upon a Time in Mumbai in 2008 but later opted out, and Randeep Hooda was signed.
He starred in the shelved 2011 film Jai Ramji Ki with Arjun Rampal and Randeep Hooda, speculated to have been made as Bullet Raja.
He starred in the shelved 2011 film Aye Dil Sambhal Zara with Arjun Rampal and Raveena Tandon, a remake of Shaukeen.
He starred in the shelved 2007 movie Tumse with Deepal Shaw.
He starred in the shelved 2013 Indo-French production Divine Lovers with Kangana Ranaut, produced by Shailesh R Singh and Irrfan Khan himself.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Irrfan Khan.
Celebrities similar to Irrfan Khan — same craft, ranked by reach.
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