The national award-winning Bollywood actor Irfan Khan passed away at 53 in Mumbai on Wednesday morning. He had been admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Tuesday, where he was under observation for colon infection.
The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018 and had been under medical attention for the same.
The news of his death was shared on Twitter by filmmaker Shoojit Sircar. “My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om Shanti. Irfaan Khan salute,” he wrote.
The actor’s representatives shared the news with a statement:
‘I trust, I have surrendered,’ these were the some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It’s saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, ‘As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it’.
In April 2019, the actor had undergone treatment in England for several months, during this period he only worked on director Homi Adajania’s 'Angrezi Medium'. After returning from England, he had tweeted, “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 footprint 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,” he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter to express his condolences. He wrote: "Shocked to hear of the demise of Irrfan Khan, one of the most exceptional actors of our time. May his work always be remembered and his soul rest in peace."
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan took to twitter to offer his prayers for the actor.
The actor's 95-year-old mother Saeeda Begum breathed her last on Saturday in Jaipur where she used to stay. However, owing to the ongoing lockdown, the actor could not physically attend his mother's last rites and reportedly paid his last respect through video conferencing.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on twitter:
I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. A versatile & talented actor, he was a popular Indian brand ambassador on the global film & tv stage. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans at this time of grief.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 29, 2020
Anupam Kher posted a video on his twitter handle, says 'it's an international loss'
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Prior to his film's release, Irrfan had shared an empowering video message for his fans, stating that the only choice he had was to remain positive. “One doesn’t have any other choice but to remain positive. Whether you are able to make lemonade in such situations is entirely up to you. We’ve made this film with the same sort of positivity. I hope this film is able to make you laugh and cry in equal measure.”
The actor's '7 Khoon Maaf' co-star Priyanka Chopra put out a tweet:
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The actor career spanned over several decades and industries. He has been acclaimed for his roles in Indian cinema and was also part of many international blockbusters like Slumdog Millionaire, Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man and Life of Pi. His Debut film 'Salaam Bombay! was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Some of his acclaimed works in India include Maqbool (2004), Paan Singh Tomar (2011), The Lunchbox (2013), Haider (2014), Gunday (2014), Piku (2015) and Talvar (2015) and Hindi Medium (2017).