The Never Ending Story of Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan – Came, Saw, and Conquered

By Soha Habib Jul 16 2021 11:27PM

Irrfan Khan was an Indian Actor and one of the most well-known faces in Indian cinema, particularly among international audiences. In 2011, the Indian government awarded the acclaimed actor a Padma Shri for his outstanding achievements.

Inspirational Veteran Actor Irrfan Khan – Born but Legacy Never Died

Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan, or Irrfan Khan, is an Indian actor and worked in Bollywood and Hollywood films. He was one of the most versatile actors in the industry and is still considered an icon. Over the course of his three-decade career, he appeared in over a hundred films in all major film sectors, as well as a number of Hollywood and other overseas projects. As a result, Irrfan became one of the most well-known faces in Indian cinema, particularly among international audiences. In April 2020, we lost the unsaid gem of Bollywood and with this write-up, we’ll remember his legacy.

Fun Fact : Irrfan changed his first name from “Irfan” to “Irrfan” in 2012.

Irrfan Khan Biography – Statistics

Full Name: Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan
Date of Birth: 7th January 1967
Death: 29th April 2020
Nationality: Indian
Profession: Actor
Place of Birth: Tonk, Rajasthan, India
Place of Death: Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai
Years active: 1985-2020
Spouse: Sutapa Sikdar
Children: Ayaan Khan, Baabil Khan

Irrfan Khan Biography – Early Life

Irrfan was born on 7th January 1967 in Tonk, Rajasthan, to Yaseen Ali Khan and Begum Khan. He belonged to a Muslim Pashtun family. His father, Yaseen Ali Khan, was from the Khajuriya district near Tonk, and his mother, Begum Khan, was from The Tonk Hakim family. They had a tire business. Khan considered Rajesh Khanna as his acting inspiration and later concluded that he was shocked to know that nobody Double has ever duplicated Rajesh Khanna.

Fun Fact : During his early days, when he went to Mumbai to pursue acting, he took a job as a repairman and visited Rajesh Khanna.

Irrfan Khan Biography - Education

In the year 1984, Irrfan Khan pursued his Master of Arts degree from ‘The National School of Drama,’ New Delhi and also mentioned in one of his interviews that his graduation degree turned to be useless. He believes that one should follow their passion rather than chasing education for getting a degree.

Note: He got married to Sutapa Sikdar on 23rd February 1995. They have two sons Ayaan Khan and Baabil Khan.

Irrfan Khan Biography – Career Timeline

Early Career After graduating from the National School of Drama in 1987, he was first offered a small role in “Salaam Bombay”. He was also offered many serials such as “Laal Ghas Par Neele Ghode”, his first debut. He played the outstanding played a role of a poet in “Kahkashan”.
In the 1990s, he acted in various television series such as “Bharat Ek Khoj”, “Chanakya”, “Sara Jahan Hamara”, “Banegi Apni Baat”, “Chandrakanta”, “Shrikant”,” AnooGoonj” on Doordarshan. He also did a few projects such as “Ek Doctor Ki Maut”, “Such a Long Journey”, and “The Warrior”.
Breakthrough In 1998, his first debut was a “Salaam Bombay”, where he was seen with a small role, followed by many years of struggle. He had his breakthrough with the starring roles in “Haasil” and “Maqbool”.
Fun Fact: During his childhood, Khan had a great passion for cricket and also got selected for a tournament named C. K. Nayudu Tournament.
Success The turning point of Irrfan Khan’s career was from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2008. His work in “Paan Singh Tomar” was highly appreciated. The movie “The Life of Pie”, where Irrfan Khan played the older version of Piscine, became a massive success in India and all over the world. He also appeared in the movies like “Piku”, “Jurassic World”, “Talvar”, “Jazbaa”, and “inferno” which were also huge successes. His film “Hindi Medium” also got him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor of the year.

Irrfan Khan Biography – Awards

2004- Filmfare Award for the Best Villain in the movie “Haasil.”
2008- Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actor in the film “Life in a Metro.”
2008- Stardust Award for the Best Supporting Actor in the movie “The Namesake.”
2009- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for “Slumdog Millionaire.”
2011- IIIFA Award for Outstanding Contribution to International Cinema
2011- Padma Shri
2012- CNN-IBN Indian of the year in Entertainment
2013- Filmfare Critics Award for the Best Actor for the movie “Paan Singh Tomar.”
2013- National Film Award for Best Actor in “Paan Singh Tomar.”
2014- Asian Film Award for Best Actor for the movie “The Lunchbox.”
2014- Star Guild Award for Star Verdict of the year for the movie “The Lunchbox.”
2015- Stardust Award for the Performer of the year for the movie “Talvar.”
2016- Screen Award for Best Actor (Critics) for the movie “Piku.”
2017- Dubai International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement award
2017- Screen Award for Best Actor for “Hindi Medium” and “Paan Singh Tomar.”
2018- IIIFA Award for Best Actor For the movie “Hindi Medium.”
2018- Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the “Hindi Medium.”
2021- Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the “Angrezi Medium.”
2021- Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

Irrfan Khan Story – Death

In March 2018, Irrfan Khan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor. On 28th April 2020, he was diagnosed with a colon infection and started his treatment at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. He passed away due to the illness and was buried at the Versova Kabristan in Mumbai.

Irrfan Khan Success Story – Other works

He was appointed as the brand ambassador for “Resurgent Rajasthan” in the year 2015. It was a campaign by the State Government of Rajasthan.

Irrfan Khan Wikibio – Controversies

He raised controversy when he commented on the festival of “Eid-al-Adha” during the promotion “Madaari” movie, saying that people have forgotten the real meaning of festivals and rituals. He said, “Qurbani Ek Bohot Ahem Festival Hai - which means to sacrifice in Urdu”. He also added that

“The meaning of Qurbani is to sacrifice something close to you instead of any goat or sheep which you just buy to sacrifice. Before sacrificing, we should share a bond with that thing; otherwise, just killing of an animal will not serve the purpose,” Irrfan told Deccan Herald.

Irrfan Khan – The Bright Star that Faded Soon

The immensely talented actor recognized worldwide for his work had no godfather in the Bollywood industry but still made a name for him. His journey shows his immense hard work and passion for fulfilling his dream. He has been an inspiration to many youths, and he will remain in the hearts of many, and his work will be remembered forever.