The Inimitable Charm Of Irrfan Khan

The words may be Yann Martel바카라�s, but it was the heart-wrenching teary-eyed delivery by the legendary Irrfan Khan in Life of Pi (2012) that has breathed life into them. This scene바카라�where Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan) remembers his last moments with Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger with whom he survived 227 days on a lifeboat바카라�still echoes the sentiments of many cinema lovers across the world towards Khan바카라�s sudden departure. Few losses in the Indian film industry will remain as irreparable as Khan바카라�s, who finally conceded defeat in his battle with cancer on this day, five years ago. He was all of 53바카라�yet, striking and unforgettable roles were already strewn across the breadth of his illustrious acting career.

Born in Tonk, Rajasthan, Khan graduated from the National School of Drama, New Delhi in 1987. Initially, he struggled to find a footing in the film industry, which is always hostile to those it considers 바카라�outsiders바카라�. He dabbled in television for nearly a decade after graduation, doing smaller roles in cinema alongside. It was only with Maqbool (2004)바카라�Vishal Bhardwaj바카라�s adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth바카라�that the industry finally sat up and took note of the actor and his extraordinary skills. Khan went on to do nearly one hundred films, of which many were popular international productions like Slumdog Millionaire (2008), The Amazing Spider-man (2012) and Jurassic World (2015). He is still counted among the most gifted actors across the globe for the conviction with which he embodied each character, for the vast emotional spectrum of which he was capable, and for the unmatchable 바카라�language of the eyes바카라� that he evolved with his acting.

On his fifth death anniversary, here바카라�s remembering some of the most memorable roles that Khan played, which continue to stay with cinema lovers, even as he is no more with us:

Miyan Maqbool: In Vishal Bhardwaj바카라�s Maqbool, Khan plays the man Friday to Abba ji, aka Jahangir Khan (Pankaj Kapur), a formidable underworld don in Mumbai and the secret lover of Abba ji바카라�s mistress Nimmi (Tabu). His bloodshot eyes speaking louder than his dialogues, Khan carries Macbeth바카라�s guilt of killing his master with delicacy in this role.

Ashoke Ganguli: Adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri바카라�s 2003 novel, Mira Nair바카라�s The Namesake (2006) has Khan playing Ashoke Ganguli, a first-generation immigrant to the US with simplicity and grace. His chemistry with his wife Ashima (Tabu) makes their pairing one of the most endearing and heart-warming conjugal relationships seen on-screen in the actor's career.

Paan Singh Tomar: Tigmanshu Dhulia바카라�s biopic on the national athlete-turned-baaghi from the Chambal valley sees Khan play the titular role. Bearing the weight of unfulfilled dreams of an ace steeplechase athlete, Khan is compelling as Tomar in this film with his impeccable Chambal accent. His famous dialogue, 바카라�Beehad mein baaghi hote hain, dacoit milte hain parliament mein바카라� (In the valley, only rebels are present, dacoits are found in the parliament) remains as iconic as it is subversive.

Saajan Fernandes: The awkward and brooding Saajan, a widower nearing retirement who develops a serendipitous friendship with a young housewife, Ila (Nimrat Kaur) in Ritesh Batra바카라�s The Lunchbox (2013) was a runaway hit with critics and audiences alike. His unlikely and comic friendship with Aslam Shaikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) also brought out the warmth of male relationships in a way that is seldom explored in Hindi cinema.

Umber Singh: As Umber Singh, a Sikh man obsessed with the idea of having a son to take his lineage forward, Khan shines in Anup Singh바카라�s Indo-German production Qissa: The Tale of A Lonely Ghost (2013). The film has the actor explore different hues of grey with finesse and establishes how Khan바카라�s stronghold in parallel cinema was, in fact, quite unparalleled in the Indian film industry.

Ashwin Kumar: The sharp, uncompromising demeanour of Joint Director Ashwin Kumar from the Central Department of Investigation in Meghna Gulzar바카라�s Talvar (2015) glues the crime thriller together. Based on the infamous murder of teenager Aarushi Talwar in Noida in 2008, the film, which operates on the 바카라�Rashomon effect바카라�, brought out a nuanced performance from Khan, whose palpable frustration with bureaucracy and corruption was felt deeply by audiences.

Rana Chaudhary: In Shoojit Sircar바카라�s Piku (2015), Khan as Rana is a formidable counterpart to Amitabh Bachchan바카라�s Bhashkor. The film바카라�s deadpan humour is uplifted by Khan바카라�s comic timing and his chemistry with Piku (Deepika Padukone) is celebrated by audiences for being one of the most grounded and mature love stories seen in contemporary Bollywood. Piku truly worked to cement the fact that there was nothing Irrfan could not do as an actor.