Some actors appear on the silver screen for a short time, but they leave such a lasting impact that they are remembered for years to come. Today, we will tell you about one such actor who left his memories in his fans' minds despite saying goodbye to the world at a young age. Disappointing his fans, this actor left this world too soon but the legacy of acting he has left behind will never be forgotten.
We are talking about none other than Irrfan Khan who wanted to become a cricketer but went on to become a superstar instead and worked in critically-acclaimed films like Paan Singh Tomar, Piku, Jazbaa, and Billu Barber, among others. Irrfan Khan also left his mark with many international projects like Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire.
Irrfan Khan always dreamed of becoming a cricketer and was also selected for the CK Nayudu Trophy for emerging players in the under-23 category but due to his dire financial condition, he had to give up on his dream.
Irrfan Khan then took admission to NSD and began to learn acting. He also worked as an air conditioner repairman. Once he got a chance to go to Rajesh Khanna's house to fix something and was inspired to become an actor, looking at Rajesh Khanna's stardom.
Irrfan Khan, once in an interview with Anupam Kher, also opened up about his early days in Bollywood. He said, "When I entered the industry, I was very confused about my looks. I wondered if anyone had ever entered the industry with a face like mine. But I couldn’t find anyone back then. By chance, I saw Mithun Chakraborty. Although he was more handsome than me at the time, I thought to myself, if he can become a hero, then I can too."
Irrfan Khan also once admitted that he once had the delusion that his face resembled that of Mithun Chakraborty. "Kisi ne mujhe keh diya tha ki tumhara chehra milta hai Mithun Chakraborty se. Unki filmein aati thi uss dauran aur unke baal aise hote the neeche aur unke bade mulayam baal the. Mere baal hard aur curly the. Humare paas paise bhi nahi hote the lekin hum naai dhoodhte the jo baalon ko kisi tarah se dry karke neeche kar de (Someone told me that I resembled Mithun Chakraborty. He used to have soft and floppy hair in his films, while my hair was hard and curly. Even though we didn’t have money back then, I would find a barber who could somehow dry my hair and make it floppy)."
He further added, "Woh neeche toh kar deta tha lekin woh naariyal jaise thode der baat aage aa jaate the. Toh usme humne kai photo bhi khichwaye hai Mithun Chakraborty ki tarah. Sukoon milta tha ki main unki tarah dikhta hoon (He used to make it floppy, but after some time, my hair would be raised like a coconut. I have clicked quite a few photographs in the style of Mithun Chakraborty. I used to feel at peace that I look like him)."
Irrfan Khan's final film appearance was in Angrezi Medium which was released in March 2020. The actor was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2018. He died on April 29, 2020, at 53 years old.
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