Mumbai: Actor Irrfan Khan was considered one of the best actors the Indian film industry has ever witnessed. He made his debut with the Oscar-nominated Hindi film ‘Salaam Bombay!’ and went on to star in some of the most critically acclaimed films in India like ‘Life in a… Metro’, ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘Hindi Medium’.
However, the actor’s success was not confined to the boundaries of India. He performed exceptionally well in several international projects, which garnered him lots of recognition abroad and put him on the map of world cinema. Ahead of the actor’s 3rd death anniversary let’s remember 5 such film roles which the actor essayed in Hollywood films that fetched him global recognition.
‘THE NAMESAKE’
In this 2006 English language film, Irrfan captured the intricacies of Ashoke, an Indian immigrant struggling to make a living in another country while keeping his native culture alive, as a university professor with Bengali roots residing in the US. Both the film and his part were highly appreciated at the time, driving Irrfan to stardom.
‘SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE’
Despite having little screen time in this 2008 film, Irrfan managed to make a name for himself as a crude police inspector who underestimated the lead character Jamal (played by actor Dev Patel) and berated him until he gained confidence and became a millionaire on a quiz show. The film went on to win several prizes, including eight Academy prizes, taking Irrfan to the global stage.
‘THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN’
Irrfan appeared in the blockbuster superhero film in 2012, as the dominant Rajit, the supervisor of Dr Curt Connors who pressures him into a method that results in Connors becoming a man-lizard hybrid.
‘LIFE OF PI’
Irrfan, who played the adult version of the protagonist character ‘Pi Patel’ in this 2012 adventure-drama film directed by Ang Lee, was primarily heard rather than seen, working as the narrator. The film was a smash hit with critics and audiences alike, becoming one of the year’s highest-grossing films and earning four Oscars out of eight nominations.
‘JURASSIC WORLD’
Irrfan’s screen personality was a treat to watch onscreen as Simon, the proprietor of the renowned dinosaur theme park. The film is one of the biggest commercial successes starring the late actor, showing that he was loved not just in his native country, but also crossed borders to become a true worldwide cinema legend.