Irrfan Khan Demise: Indian American actors Kal Penn, Mindy Kaling, Kunal Nayyar & others pay heartfelt tribute

Irrfan Khan, who has quite a few Hollywood films to his credit, not just inspired actors back home but left an indelible impression on Indian American actors as well.

Updated on Apr 30, 2020  |  05:23 PM IST |  5.9M
Irrfan Khan Demise: Indian American actors Kal Penn, Mindy Kaling, Kunal Nayyar & others pay heartfelt tribute
Irrfan Khan Demise: Indian American actors Kal Penn, Mindy Kaling, Kunal Nayyar & others pay heartfelt tribute

The loss of one of India's finest actors Irrfan Khan on Wednesday was not just mourned in India but by the film fraternity from across the world. Irrfan, who has quite a few Hollywood films to his credit, not just inspired actors back home but left an indelible impression on Indian American actors as well. Many such stars took to social media on Wednesday to pay a heartfelt tribute to the actor and mourn his loss.

One of them was Irrfan's 'The Namesake' co-star Kal Penn who shared a couple of pictures from their film. Penn wrote, "Irrfan’s art and humanity will be badly missed. Never seen someone use the beats of silence so beautifully to convey so much about who we are. Sending love to Sutapa and the family. #IrrfanKhan." 


Irrfan’s art and humanity will be badly missed. Never seen someone use the beats of silence so beautifully to convey so much about who we are. Sending love to Sutapa and the family. #IrrfanKhan

Popular 'The Office' actress Mindy Kaling also recalled fond memories of watching her favourite actor onscreen. "He once wrote me to see if we could collaborate on something, and it remains the greatest honor of my career," Kaling reminisced. 

The Big Bang Theory actor Kunal Nayyar also wrote about how he found it difficult to find the right words to pay a tribute. "Dear Irrfan, you had a way with your eyes that reached out of the screen and lit a fire in my soul. I have waited all day to find the words, but there are none. And there are none still. When I sit down to think, I find my heart in a million little pieces. I always dreamt of sharing the screen with you, and now I’ll have to wait till this dance of mine is over... Light up the heavens while you’re up there Sir, the world needs you, and we are not ready to say goodbye. With all the pieces of my heart, I love you."    

Delhi 6 actress Poorna Jagannathan shared one of her favourite snapshots of the actor and wrote, "Devastated to hear we lost our best Indian actor today. He was the opposite of Bollywood in his naturalistic style." Indian-American actress Padma Lakshmi was also mourned the loss and said that the actor will deeply be missed.

Delhi 6 actress Poorna Jagannathan shared one of her favourite snapshots of the actor and wrote, "Devastated to hear we lost our best Indian actor today. He was the opposite of Bollywood in his naturalistic style." Indian-American actress Padma Lakshmi was also mourned the loss and said that the actor will deeply be missed.

Take a look at their tributes for Irrfan below:

 


I’m devastated by the news that the legend, Irrfan Khan, passed away at the age of 53. He was my favorite actor. Irrfan’s performances were defined by his subtlety and sensitivity, he could do more with silence and many actors could do with a two page Sorkin monologue. You watched him onscreen and thought “I know that person!” in any role he played, even if he was being chased around Europe in a Da Vinci Code movie with @tomhanks. He once wrote me to see if we could collaborate on something, and it remains the greatest honor of my career. If you aren’t familiar with his work, please watch Mira Nair’s The Namesake, or Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox. You will become a lifelong fan, I promise. I feel robbed of his future performances. My heart goes out to his family.


Dear Irrfan, you had a way with your eyes that reached out of the screen and lit a fire in my soul. I have waited all day to find the words, but there are none. And there are none still. When I sit down to think, I find my heart in a million little pieces. I always dreamt of sharing the screen with you, and now I’ll have to wait till this dance of mine is over... Light up the heavens while you’re up there Sir, the world needs you, and we are not ready to say goodbye. With all the pieces of my heart, I love you.


Devastated to hear we lost our best Indian actor today. He was the opposite of Bollywood in his naturalistic style. He inhabited characters and their cobwebs so fully, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. rip #irrfankhan There’s no one to take your place.

ALSO READ: When Deepika Padukone requested fans to say a prayer for Irrfan Khan after he was detected with cancer

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