Photo: Bollywood Hungama / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Irrfan Khan remains, for me, one of the most quietly devastating screen presences of his generation. He acted with his eyes the way other performers act with their whole bodies, letting stillness carry grief, humor, and irony all at once in films like The Namesake and Hindi Medium. I admire how he moved between Indian cinema and international productions without ever diluting that intimacy. His death in 2020 at fifty-three felt like an unfinished sentence; he was getting better with every role. When I think about what acting can be at its most honest and least vain, Irrfan is one of the first names that comes to mind.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Irrfan Khan
- Name (Japanese)
- イルファーン・カーン
- Reading
- いるふぁーん・かーん
- Born
- January 7, 1967 – April 29, 2020
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Goat
- Origin
- Tonk, Tonk district, India
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2011 Padma Shri in arts
- 2012 CNN-News18 Indian of the Year
- 2014 Asian Film Award for Best Actor
- Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
- Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
- National Film Award for Best Actor
- Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
- Filmfare Award for Best Actor
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Hindi Medium | — | |
| Notable work | Karwaan | — | |
| Notable work | Blackmail | — | |
| Notable work | Paan Singh Tomar | — | |
| Notable work | Madaari | — | |
| Notable work | The Namesake | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Irrfan Khan born?
January 7, 1967 – April 29, 2020.
Where is Irrfan Khan from?
Irrfan Khan is from Tonk, Tonk district, India.
What does Irrfan Khan do?
Irrfan Khan works as stage actor, film actor, television actor, actor.
What is Irrfan Khan known for?
Notable works include Hindi Medium, Karwaan, Blackmail.
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.