Today marks the birth anniversary of the late actor Irrfan Khan. The renowned Indian actor made his screen debut in the Oscar-nominated Hindi movie “Salaam Bombay!” He later starred in some of India’s most critically praised movies, including “Life in a Metro,” “The Lunchbox,” and “Hindi Medium.”
The actor’s triumph, meanwhile, did not stop at Indian borders. He performed remarkably well in a number of international ventures, which helped him gain widespread acclaim abroad and establish himself as a major figure in world cinema. Let’s recall five of the actor’s foreign cinema appearances that brought him international acclaim.
Ashoke Ganguli In ‘The Namesake’
Irrfan perfectly captured the intricacies of Ashoke, an Indian immigrant struggling to make a life in a distant country while maintaining his native culture, in this 2006 English-language film, playing a university professor with Bengali roots who lives in the US. Irrfan’s route to fame in cinema was paved with the success of the movie and his performance at the time.
Police Inspector In ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
Irrfan, despite having limited screen time in this 2008 movie, yet managed to leave his mark as a nasty police inspector who underrated the movie’s protagonist Jamal (played by actor Dev Patel) and reprimanded him until he earned his confidence and won a million dollars on a game show. The movie went on to earn countless honours, including 8 Academy Awards, which propelled Irrfan to fame all over the world.
Rajit Ratha In ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’
Irrfan had an appearance in the popular superhero movie back in 2012, as the overbearing Rajit, the doctor’s boss, who coerces him into a process that results in Connors transforming himself into a man-lizard hybrid.
Pi Patel In ‘Life Of Pi’
In this 2012 adventure-drama film directed by Ang Lee, Irrfan played the adult version of the protagonist character “Pi Patel,” but he was more heard than seen, acting as the narrator. The movie was a smash hit with audiences and critics alike, earning one of the year’s greatest box office totals and four Oscar nominations out of eight for best film.
Simon Mars In ‘Jurassic World’
Irrfan was a pleasure to see on television as Simon, the proprietor of the well-known dinosaur theme park. The movie is one of the biggest box office hits to feature the late actor, demonstrating that his fame went beyond the borders of his native nation to become a truly global film hero.
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