Khan started his career with television and debuted in Bharat Ek Khoj, a historical drama that was launched in 1988 in Doordarshan. In the series which was directed by Shyam Benegal, he was cast opposite other well-known actors such as Om Puri, Roshan Seth, and Tom Alter.
Later in 1994, he appeared in Nirja Guleri’s fantasy television series Chandrakanta based on Devaki Nandan Khatri’s novel. In the series, he played a double role of twin brothers Badrinath/Somnath. Although Khan was not interested in television his friend Shahbaaz Khan who played the lead protagonist insisted.
The stint worked for Khan, as the series which was almost like a fairytale with prince and princess, battles, and betrayal became a huge success. He kept appearing in sporadic television roles in TV shows like Star Bestsellers, Bhanvar, and theatre before getting regular film projects.
He was close to bagging a feature film much before his role in Bharat Ek Khoj when in 1986 a 20-year-old Irrfan Khan who was still a student in the National School of Drama was selected for Mira Nair’s film Salaam Bombay (1988).
He was the only one in the batch to secure a film. The actor along with Raghubir Yadav and street kids who were also selected for the film attended acting workshops organized by Nair. The actor expected it to be his big break but unfortunately two days before the shoot, Nair uncast him and gave him a much smaller role.
The actor has said in several interviews that he was heartbroken by the decision. In 2001, he appeared in the British filmmaker Asif Kapadia’s film The Warrior about a warrior from feudal Rajasthan. After a series of small roles, Khan bagged the title role in the 2003 film Maqbool.
His nuanced performance got rave reviews from critics. Since then the actor has worked in several Bollywood and international films many of which have got critical acclaim. Internationally Khan rose to fame with the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Ang Lee’s Life of Pi was another critical and commercial success.
Khan is known for his method acting which enables him to imbibe the characters completely. Initially, he was not considered as someone who can be cast as a leading man because of his unconventional looks.
But his ‘common man’ appearance along with his charming screen presence soon made him a crowd favourite. Sadly, the actor passed away today after struggling with ailments related to a neuroendocrine tumor which he was diagnosed with a while back.