Acclaimed Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has died in the Indian city of Mumbai after he was admitted to a city hospital with a colon infection on Tuesday. He was 53.
Khan’s death, after a prolonged battle with cancer, was confirmed by a spokesman for the actor in a brief statement on Wednesday.
He spent his final hours “surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about”, a statement released by his family said.
The actor had spent several months last year in the United Kingdom undergoing cancer treatment.
His mother, Saeeda Begum, died four days ago on April 25.
He is survived by his wife, TV producer Sutapa Sikdar, and sons Babil and Ayan.
Khan rose through the ranks of Bollywood actors and became an international star, featuring in a string of Hollywood movies.
He’s perhaps best known to international audiences as the cop in Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which went on to win eight Oscars.
Later roles saw him become a regular in big-budget Hollywood flicks, playing a doctor in The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012 and dino park CEO Simon Masrani in Jurassic World (2015).
And in 2012 he played the adult version of the lead character the Oscar-winning Life of Pi.
Khan received an Independent Spirit Award for supporting actor in 2006 Indian-American drama The Namesake and a Viewers’ Choice award at the Cannes festival 2013 for his role in Indian romantic drama The Lunchbox.
Khan also won a number of domestic film awards in India, including a 2012 Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar.
Born to Muslim parents in the village of Tonk near Jaipur, Irrfan’s mother had a royal lineage but his father was a self-made man.
Eldest of three siblings, Irrfan joined National School of Drama after his father’s death. Ironically, his mother, Saeeda Begum, died a few days before his death.
What is a colon infection?
Colitis is a general term for inflammation of the inner lining of the colon, which is our large intestine. There are different types of colitis categorized by the cause including infection, poor blood supply and parasites, which can cause inflamed colon.
Common symptoms of an inflamed colon include abdominal pain, diarrhoea and cramping.
Causes of colon inflammation
Infection: The infection colitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites. Infection colitis can be contracted from contaminated water, foodborne illnesses or poor hygiene.
Inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD): IBD is a group of chronic disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. The two main types of IBD – Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis.
Tributes
Celebs have rushed to pay tribute to him on social media.
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who worked with him on hit film Piku, tweeted: “An incredible talent… a gracious colleague… a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema… left us too soon… creating a huge vacuum.”
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow wrote: “Deeply sad to have lost #IrrfanKhan.
“A thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him, even in pain.
“In our last correspondence, he asked me to remember ‘the wonderful aspects of our existence’ in the darkest of days.”
Priyanka Chopra tweeted: “The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic.
“Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues.. You inspired so many of us.
“#IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family.”
Actor Raveena Tandon said he was a “fantastic co-star, an actor par excellence, and a beautiful human being”.
And Indian director Shoojit Sircar said: “My dear friend Irfaan, you fought and fought and fought.
“I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.”
Aljazeera and The Sun UK
