By Darya bhi main, darakht bhi main … Jhelum bhi main, chinar bhi main … dair bhi hoon, haram bhi hoon … Shia bhi hoon, Sunni bhi hoon, main hoon pandit … main tha, main hoon aur main hi rahoonga.
These words from the movie Haider perfectly sum up this lost star’s mark in the cine-world. Irrfan Khan—the name needs no introduction. The commoner Khan, with his mesmerizing eyes and innate charm, possessed the capability to turn a universal story into something deeply personal.
“Ik baar to yun hoga, thoda sa sukoon hoga… na dil mein kasak hogi, na sar mein junoon hoga.” The actor par excellence, Irrfan left for the heavenly abode at the age of 54 after being diagnosed with a very rare neuroendocrine tumor, five years ago to this day.
You think of him and you’re immediately transported into moments of his hypnotic performances, where his mesmerizing eyes gave new meaning to every word he spoke. And we’re not just talking about Hindi Cinema; as India’s face in International cinema, he was the Bollywood actor that Hollywood loved! Irrfan had a string of Anglo-American successes attached to his name, including Life of Pi, Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, Inferno, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Puzzle. Such was his screen presence that filmmaker Wes Anderson wrote a small role for him in The Darjeeling Limited—just so he could work with him.
And now we reminisce his legacy by revisiting his movies that are etched in our hearts.
“Ya toh Goli Maar Ya Gale ake Mil”
MAQBOOL
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Indian adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth has Irrfan shining bright in the leading character who kills his boss, Abbaji (played by the immaculate Pankaj Kapoor), and overhauls his empire. Maqbool, an underworld don’s henchman, falls in love with his boss’s mistress (played to perfection by Tabu), who instigates him to kill the don and become the next leader. Irrfan Khan’s refined performance flawlessly captures the inner conflict of an ambitious man in love. Topped with a stellar cast including Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Piyush Mishra—what more could one ask for!
“Beehad mein ‘Baaghi’ hote hain, ‘dacait’ milte hain parliament mein!”
PAAN SINGH TOMAR
This Irrfan Khan starrer follows the journey of the seven-time national steeplechase champion, Paan Singh Tomar, and how he was forced to become a feared dacoit in the dreaded Chambal Valley. A powerhouse performance by Irrfan, where we could see vulnerability and helplessness evoked in equal measures. Both his portrayal as a naïve, virtuous sportsperson and his finesse as an outlaw are absolutely commendable.
“Aap marne wale hai doctor sahab, main nahi marne wala… Aap jism hai, mai rooh…”
HAIDER
Another of filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj’s Shakespearean trilogy comes to a victorious close with Haider. The setting is heavenly Kashmir during the insurgency-hit conflicts of 1995 and the world of civilian disappearances. A torn young man returns to this world searching for his father, caught between love for his mother and suspicions of foul play by his father’s brother in the disappearance. The movie is guided by explosive, disturbing family dynamics, visible tension, an eerie soundtrack, and an environment that immerses you in itself, with questions that keep echoing throughout the narrative, leading to a meta-moment climax. What’s special is that Irrfan only makes a special appearance in Haider as Roohdar (translating to “a spirit”), playing the host of Hamlet’s father, who notifies Haider of the foul play surrounding his father’s death.
“Sometimes the wrong train can lead you to the right station…”
THE LUNCHBOX
Khan plays Saajan Fernandes, a widowed accountant whose life takes an unexpected turn when he is reintroduced to love in the most unexpected form—a lunchbox. On the other side is Nimrat Kaur’s naïve Ila, who is struggling to find happiness in her marriage. Irrfan calculates and balances emotions like hope, tenderness, loneliness, and longing like a masterful artist. The scene where Saajan sees Ila for the first time in the restaurant and delivers that monologue creates something heavenly, something undefinable.
“Maine dil se kahaa dhund laana khushi, naasamajh laaya gham, toh yeh gham hi sahi…”
ROG
Khan plays Inspector Uday Singh Rathod, a respected, insomniac cop who becomes obsessed with a picture of an alluring supermodel murder victim, Maya Solomon (Ilene Hamann), eventually falling in love with her. Things go further south when she turns out to be alive, which sets off a chain of events putting her life in danger again. This was his first role in the commercial domain.
“In the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye…”
He left us, yes, but we can never really say goodbye to him, for he has left behind a legacy so tightly woven that nothing can ever break through.
LIFE OF PI
In director Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s bestseller about a boy’s extraordinary survival at sea, Irrfan essays the adult version of Piscine ‘Pi’ Patel. He recounts his story with a profound sense of delicate, enlightening comprehension, spirituality, and sensitivity. This one is a must-watch.
“Will you remember this day, Gogol? Remember that you and I made the journey and went together to a place where there was nowhere left to go…”
THE NAMESAKE
Based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name, Mira Nair’s drama has Khan portraying Ashoke Ganguli, a Bengali immigrant father dealing with an unspoken regret, a new wife, and the American dream. His performance is both heartwarming and, in the very next moment, a contemplative ache.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Piku, Haasil, Talvar, Thank You, Sahib Biwi aur Gangster, Life In A Metro, The Bypass, 7 Khoon Maaf.