Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi actor Irrfan Khan dies at 54

Irrfan Khan, a veteran actor in Bollywood movies and one of India’s best-known exports to Hollywood, died. He was 54 years old.

Khan died Wednesday after being admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai from a colon infection, his spokesman said.

“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought to the end and always inspired everyone who approached him,” said a statement issued by the actor’s team.

Khan made his screen debut in the 1988 drama “Salaam Bombay!”, Academy Award Nominee, a story of Mumbai city street children.

The acclaimed actor also starred in box office hits such as “Slumdog Millionaire,” which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009. He played the park executive Masrani in “Jurassic World” and also appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” and the adventure. fantasy “The life of Pi”.

He worked with directors like Mira Nair, Wes Anderson, and Ang Lee.

The actor in 2018 had been diagnosed with rare neuroendocrine cancer and underwent months of treatment in the UK.

“I trust, I’ve given up,” Khan wrote in a candid note after breaking the news about his battle with cancer.

Khan won several national film awards in India, including the 2012 Indian National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in “Paan Singh Tomar”, a compelling story of a seven-time national champion athlete who left the Indian military for rule the Barrancos de Chambal in central India.

Khan received an Independent Spirit Award for his supporting actor in the 2006 Indian-American drama “The Namesake” and an Audience Choice Award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the Indian romantic drama “The Lunchbox.”

The tributes came from Bollywood, including from Amitabh Bachchan, who said Khan was an “incredible talent” and “a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema.”

Khan “left us too soon,” Bachchan wrote on Twitter.

In an interview with The Associated Press in 2018, Khan had said: “I have seen life from a completely different angle. You sit and see the other side and that is fascinating. I am engaged on a journey.”

Khan’s latest Bollywood movie, “Angrezi Medium,” a sequel to one of his biggest hits, “Hindi Medium” (2017), was released before India went into a blockade in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He is survived by his wife, television writer and producer Sutapa Sikdar, and his children, Babil and Ayan.

– AP