Indian actor Irrfan Khan passes away

Indian actor Irrfan Khan, who was admitted to hospital after his health deteriorated, passed away on Wednesday, Indian media reported. He was 53.

Khan’s death, after a prolonged battle with cancer, was confirmed by a spokesman for the actor in a brief statement.

The actor is survived by wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons Babil and Ayan.

Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in western cinema, following earlier crossover pioneers like Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth and Om Puri.

He also brought a modern sensibility to recent hit movies and featured in several Hollywood films such as Life of Pi and The Namesake.

Irrfan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in 2018 and had been undergoing treatment in Britain.

He returned to India after recovering and wrapped up his film Angrezi Medium.

Earlier this week, Irrfan Khan’s mother Saeeda Begum died of a long-fought illness in Jaipur at the age of 95.

The funerals of Saeeda Begum were performed in Jaipur and due to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, only a few family members were allowed to attend. Irrfan was unable to attend the final rites of his mother.

He paid his last respects to his mother through video conference.