A Requiem for Irrfan Khan

A Maverick actor of modern classics, Irrfan Khan was a personality par extraordinaire and an actor of indomitable spirit. His passion for the art and his resilience towards life made him an inspiration for many. Known for his best performances in classics like Maqbool, Paan Singh Tomar, Namesake, Lunchbox, and many more, Khan was globally admired for his versatility and ability to mold in any character which came his way.

There is not a shred of a doubt that Irrfan was a versatile actor, constantly trying to break the mould. He played the villain in films like Maqbool, intense and complex characters such as Lafcadia in The Warrior and in Paan Singh Tomar, romantic leads in Life in a Metro, Piku and The Lunchbox, and comic characters in Karwaan, Hindi Medium and Blackmail.

However, beyond his acting, Irrfan Khan stands out in the film industry at large because he didn't stick to roles, he was comfortable in. Bollywood has ‘kings of romance’, ‘perfectionists’, actors known for doing their own stunts. These actors have carved out a niche for themselves, and after putting in years of work, they play plenty of safe roles that audiences enjoy them in.

Irrfan, however, stuck to no such niches or titles.

There was also something subversive about the way Irrfan executed romance in his films. It was hardly the wooing-courtship-love-song-and-dance routine that’s popular in Indian films. And it’s not that the other trope has not been represented – but for it to come from an actor of Irrfan’s stature, consistently, was refreshing.

Whether it was the reserved and endearing Saajan in The Lunchbox, straightforward Monty in Life in a Metro, or self-deprecating, respectful yet flawed Yogi in Qarib Qarib Singlle – seeing Irrfan in a romantic role was always pleasantly surprising. It made me experience, and aspire for a romance that was different from the whirlwind, passionate, hot and heavy kinds that we see in mainstream films. It made me prefer a sweet, friendly, fun, and imperfect one – much closer to people we see in real life.

Beyond romance though, for me, Irrfan’s most memorable roles have been comic ones. Irrfan had a way of being effortlessly funny – as though it was so much a part of his character that he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. Many of the characters, like Irrfan himself, had few airs. He carried his unique deadpan humour to many of his characters in recent times – Raj Batra from Hindi Medium and Dev Kaushal from Blackmail happen to be two of my favourite roles he has played. In the wrong hands, they could have been quite forgettable – a wealthy man struggling to fit into the upper class due to his lack of English diction, or a toilet paper salesperson in a troubled marriage. But Irrfan was among those actors who could make just about any character memorable, just because he played them.

Irrfan had a lot of good cinema to give to the world. And his demise will be hard for the industry to recover from. I have a small comfort though. His last film, Angrezi Medium, was one I had been looking forward to watching, but hadn’t gotten around to. By some strange logic, I am glad I haven't. Because till I do, I can convince myself that there is a piece of Irrfan’s new cinema still left in the world, that I will have the joy of discovering. 

Irrfan’s impact was far from any textbook definitions of acting. When we saw him on screen, it was difficult to say where acting began and living-the-character ended. There was such beguiling ease in his presence, nothing contrived or worked hard at.

Irrfan is not just about acting though. He is not just the actor who embodied the cliché of 'getting into the skin of the characters'. He is also the success story of a dream. He is the pathan boy who preferred to fly kites than go hunting with his father, he is the young actor who felt like he is in the middle of a Mandi when he first came to Mumbai and struggled to keep his inspiration up, he is that industry outsider who almost got lost in the maze of television before he got to be part of films, he is the unusual romantic Bollywood hero who went beyond juvenilia, he is also one of India's finest exports to world cinema - He is a dream that was cut short in Mumbai today.

The last time we heard from Irrfan Khan was when the trailer for Angrezi Medium dropped. He had recorded it because he could not join the cast of the film during promotions as his health issues resurfaced. In that clip, he joked about how making lemonade with proverbial lemons is easier said than done but he also promised us something. He promised that he will be back as he asked us to wait for him. A promise that he couldn't keep.

A few lines from his heartfelt message when he returned after his treatment that will be etched in our hearts forever,

“Maybe somewhere in the pursuit of winning, we forget how much it means to be loved. In our vulnerability, we are reminded. As I leave my footprints onto these steps of my life, I want to pause to be grateful for receiving your immense love and support, it soothed me in my process of healing. So, I travel back to you, thanking you from the bottom of my heart”.

The actor has left behind truly a legacy of his own.

Irrfan Khan - 1967-2020

Photo Credits- Irrfan Khan's Instagram Handle (@Irrfan)