Irrfan Khan, Life Of Pi And Slumdog Millionaire Star, Dies At 53

Irrfan Khan, the versatile and soulful Bollywood actor who appeared in such Hollywood blockbusters as Life of Pi and Jurassic World, died on Wednesday (Apr 29). He was 53.

Khan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour — an illness which affects cells that release hormones into the bloodstream — in 2018 and underwent extensive treatment in London. It’s reported that he was admitted on Tuesday into the intensive care unit of Mumbai’s Kokilaben hospital with a colon infection.

The actor’s death was confirmed in a statement by his spokesperson. It read, “surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace.”

Khan’s 95-year-old mother passed away in Jaipur on Saturday (Apr 25) and he had to witness the funeral remotely via video link from Mumbai due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in India.

Khan began his career in TV and made his film debut with a cameo in 1988 with Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay. His other Bollywood credits include 2001’s The Warrior and 2011’s Paan Singh Tomar, a true-life story of an athlete-turned-bandit which won him Best Actor at India’s National Awards.

His Hollywood movies include Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, The Namesake, Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man and Inferno. Khan’s last completed movie, Angrezi Medium, was released in March.

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos