Remembering Irrfan

One of India’s finest and globally celebrated actors, Irrfan, passed away earlier today at the age of 53. The actor was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2018 and had been struggling with health issues ever since. The news of Irrfan’s death has left both the film industry and his fans in shock and mourning. As we grieve the loss of this extraordinary talent, we look back at his rich career path that bears a testimony of his struggles, triumphs and consistent brilliance over three decades. Salute.

Bharat Ek Khoj (1988)
Based on Jawaharlal Nehru’s The Discovery of India, Shyam Benegal’s sprawling historical drama had the young Irrfan appearing in minor roles across several episodes. The actor’s stint on Doordarshan continued with Gulzar’s Kirdaar and Sanjay Khan’s The Great Maratha.

Kahkashan (1991)
Though fairly early in his career, Irrfan gave a stirring performance as the revolutionary Urdu poet Makhdoom Mohiuddin in this television series about celebrated Urdu poets. His flawless delivery of the Makhdoom’s kalaams is Doordarshan nostalgia at its finest.

Chandrakanta (1994)
The massively popular fantasy TV series gave Indian audience several favourite characters like Kroor Singh, Shiv Dutt, twin sisters Sabhya-Ramya, Pandit Jagannath and Badrinath among others. Irrfan’s effortless take as king Shiv Dutt’s brave aiyyar (spy) Badrinath was just a curtain raiser to the exciting actor he was about to become.

Darr (1995)
In this limited series written by Anurag Kashyap and directed by his brother Abhinav Kashyap (of Dabangg fame), Irrfan plays a serial killer with Kay Kay Menon as a cop on his pursuit. The flashes of brilliance by the young actors in this sleek thriller were a sign of the interesting times to come.

Star Bestsellers (1999)
At the turn of the millennium, before they became the formidable names in contemporary filmmaking, directors like Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap and Tigmanshu Dhulia found a platform in this anthology TV series that aired on Star Plus. Irrfan featured in a majority of the episodes directed by Dhulia – an association which will continue for years to come. These episodes to date remain the most talked about ones from the show. Be it the bumbling, small-town dad in Bhoron Ne Khilaya Phool or the fabulist senior citizen in Fursat Mein or the young conservative grocer fantasizing about romancing his older landlady in Ek Shaam Ki Mulakaat, Star Bestsellers was essentially an Irrfan showreel.

The Warrior (2001)
Before Bollywood woke up to Irrfan’s exceptional talent, the actor’s skillful turn as a swordsman trying to walk away from his role as a mercenary in feudal Rajashan, made him a promising name in the international circuit. Made by British filmmaker Asif Kapadia, The Warrior travelled to various film festivals and won awards and accolades alike.

Haasil (2003)
While Irrfan’s career glimmers with several luminous performances, it is his menacing portrayal of the student leader Ranvijay Singh in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s seminal drama set against the backdrop of Allahabad University that remains his most explosive work. Right from the rugged body language to the wry dialogue delivery to the wickedness in this eyes, Ranvijay became a compelling character in Irrfan’s able hands. The film has since acquired cult status with dedicated fans running pages and groups for the actor’s seeti-maar dialoguebaazi.

Maqbool (2003)
If Haasil brought him into prominence, Maqbool cemented Irrfan’s stake as one of the greats of this era. In Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth in Mumbai underworld, Irrfan donned the titular role of the conflicted protégé who, blinded by love and ambition, sets on a path of self-destruction. Surrounded by a galaxy of talent – Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Tabu among others – Irrfan’s delivered a first-rate performance that’s both complex and compelling.

Rog (2005)
As the insomniac cop who falls in love with a dead woman’s picture, Irrfan paints a haunting image of loneliness and melancholy in this musical thriller that is best remembered for its first-rate soundtrack. Maine dil se kaha and Khoobsurat hai remain some of the best songs picturised on Irrfan.

The Namesake (2006)
In this Mira Nair adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s book, Irrfan delivers a quiet and deeply affecting performance as the patriarch Ashoke Ganguli, who tries to find a balance between his memories of his hometown Calcutta and his new life with his family in America. Such convincing portrayal of a reserved Bengali man won him rave reviews and a Best Supporting Actor nomination in that year’s Independent Spirit Awards.

Life in a… Metro (2007)
The signature Irrfan brand of humour made an early appearance in this ensemble drama directed by Anurag Basu. The actor plays Monty, a man in his late-thirties in the quest for a spouse on matrimonial sites. At times pathetic and remarkably sensible in others, Monty made a fascinating character that has everyone root for him despite his idiosyncrasies. Plus Irrfan’s winsome chemistry with Konkona Sen Sharma is the stuff of great rom-coms.

Sunday (2008)
The film bears a testimony to Irrfan’s brilliant range and natural comedic flair. The film’s sequence with him dressed in Raavan’s costume taking a car ride with a dog has a tremendous fan following proving the actor is as much of a hit in the Rohit Shetty brand of cinema.

Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
Who else could take on the complexities of playing a sportsperson and a dacoit in the same role? Irrfan trained hard for the role of the sprinter-turned-dacoit, delivering action-packed track sequences and gunfights, unforgettable lines like “Beehad mein baaghi hote hain, dacait milte hain parliament mein”, and walking away with his only National Award to boot.

Life of Pi (2012)
Irrfan had by now starred in many top-flight English films, including the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Life of Pi took him to the next level of international stardom. His sensitive retelling of Pi Patel’s travails won him many admirers. As he himself described the challenge of playing Pi: “It couldn’t be the journey of one person. It should come across as if it’s the voice of every human being. The voice of humanity. Not just the story of Pi. That is very challenging for an actor.”

The Lunchbox (2013)
This boutique film was just one more in a long line of brilliant performances by Irrfan. He plays a middle-aged widower verging retirement, trying to make sense of the life that lies ahead, and on comes a friendship from the unlikeliest of places.

Haider (2014)
Irrfan has a small role in Haider. But who better than him to unroll the layered delights of this Shakespearean tragedy? As Roohdaar, Irrfan brings to life Hamlet’s Ghost and delivers a high-impact performance. In it, he shares some prison profundity that also reflects on the relatability of his art and what we’ll remember him for: “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.”

Talvar (2015)
Irrfan played the fictionalised role of CBI investigator Arun Kumar, bringing dry wit and gravitas to the central role in the film based on the horrific Aarushi-Hemraj murder of 2008. “I felt it was an important story to share with the audience. It was not the role which attracted me,” he said about the role.

Piku (2015)
It’s rare to see a powerful third lead in a Hindi film, but trust Irrfan to pull that off, too. As Rana, he eases into the unusual pairing of him and Deepika Padukone as Piku. He plays the foil between Piku and her volatile father Bhaskor, played by Amitabh Bachchan.

Jurassic World (2015)
The 100-crore club? Get out of here. How about the 12,600 crore club? With this international blockbuster, Irrfan went where few actors have gone, establishing himself as an international star and a force to be reckoned with. Is there anything this man can’t do?

Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017)
Few actors have owned the space of making garrulous and unconventional characters relatable and Irrfan with his natural warmth and wit is a master of it. In this love story unfolding along a road trip, Irrfan plays Yogi, a charmingly loud small-time poet whose ideas about love and life are polar opposite to the woman he is dating with.

Angrezi Medium (2020)
When the film released recently, fans cheered at the idea of having Irrfan back on the screen after his surgery in 2018. Who knew this would the swan song of this phenomenal actor. And true to his mettle, Irrfan’s endearing performance as a father determined to fulfill his daughter’s dream of studying in London stands out in this otherwise maudlin drama.

The post was first published on Yahoo India Movies of April 29, 2020.

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