Irrfan Khan: From Chanakya to Chandrakanta; TV shows the late actor did and proved his acting mettle

Irrfaan Khan bid goodbye to the world today (April 29, 2020). The 54-year-old actor breathed his last after battling conol infection and left everyone's heartwrenching in pain. The Angerzi Medium actor was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, where he took his heavenly abode. In the world of entertainment, Irrfan needs to introduction. He was known for his amazing acting skills, on-point expressions, perfect dialogue delivery, and spellbinding performance. From Bollywood to Hollywood, the actor left his mark everywhere, and soar par excellence. 

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While we know him for his mesmerizing performances in many Bollywood films, very few would know that he began his acting career from Television. Yes, before bagging films, Irrfan proved his acting mettle with several TV shows, where he became a household name. It was after TV that he got his big ticket to Bollywood, where again he shined like a bright star. Today, as the acclaimed actor bids us adieu, let us take a look at his noteworthy performances on Television. 

Irrfan Khan's TV shows that made him a star: 

1. Chandrakanta

Irrfan got recognised for his acting chops with Chandrakanta. He essayed the character of twin brothers named, Badrinath and Somnath, which got him noticed in the world of performance. While Badrinath was Chunargarh's chief aiyyar, who saved the kingdom from any kind of trouble, Somnath was the evil twin who collaborated with the enemies to spread ruckus. Badrinath was one of the most memorable characters of the show. 

Irrfan's co-stars in the fantasy series, Shahbaz Khan, who played Kunwar Virendra Vikram Singh, was the one to push the actor to give a nod for the show. The show originally telecasted on DD National between 1994 and 1996. It also starred Mahabharat actor Mukesh Khanna 

2. Chanakya

This show had one of the biggest casts on TV, where Irrfan was seen as Senapati Bhadrashaal. Chanakya was a 47-part historical drama that was aired on DD National from 8 September 1991to 9 August 1992. The story was on events occurring between 340 BCE and 321/20 BCE, beginning with Chanakya's boyhood and culminating in the coronation of Chandragupta Maurya.  The series was recently re-telecast on the channel amidst the Coronavirus lockdown from the first week of April 2020. 

 

3. Bharat Ek Khoj

Yet another historical drama, Bharat Ek Khoj was based on The Discovery of India written by Jawaharlal Nehru. The 53 episodes series was launched in November 1988. Irrfan featured on the show in one of the episodes. The cast included Om Puri, Roshan Seth, Tom Alter and Sadashiv Amrapurkar.

4. Banegi Apni Baat

Unlike all the previous shows, Banegi Apni Baat was based on college and youth life. Irrfan played the role of Kumar in this iconic cult show. The show revolved around the typical college life, including romance, campus, student-teacher bond, and more. This show gave a noticable break to many actors, and one of them was R. Madhavan. Yes, Maddy started his acting career with this series.

The drama aired on Zee TV between 1993 to 1997. The ensemble cast also included Roshini Achreja, Shefali Chhaya, Firdaus Dadi, Sadiya Siddiqui, Anita Kanwal, Divya Seth, Achint Kaur, Rishabh, Varun Badola, Rakhee Tandon. 

5. Sparsh 

Sparsh was a very unconventional show that revolved around a married couple. It started in 1998 and spanned for two years before concluding in 2000. The story was about a husband, who was trying to hold on to his relationship, while the wife was quite unhappy and felt that divorce is the final solution. Later, the couple starts living separately in search of knowing themselves. 

The beauty of the show was its realistic approach and less melodramatic plot. It focussed on how simple yet complicated human relationships are. Irrfan made many heads turn with his expressions and dialogue delivery in this drama series. It also starred, Mrinal Kulkarni, Kunickaa Sadanand, and Mahesh Thakur. 

6. Laal Ghaas Par Neele Ghode

This was a teleplay that aired on Doordarshan. Irrfan was an important part of Laal Ghaas Par Neele Ghode as he played the role of Lenin. The show was based on the translation by Uday Prakash of a Russian play by Mikhail Shatrov. 

7. Darr

Irrfan gave a hair-raising performance in Darr (1995 TV show). He got into the skin of a psycho serial killer for the thriller drama. He was the main villain of this Star Plus show, while Kay Kay Menon. essayed the role of a Police officer. With his exemplary portrayal, Irrfan proved that he can nail even a dark character with perfection. 

 

8. Kahkashan

In Kahkashan, Irrfan wore the hat of Makhdoom Mohiuddin. He was a famous revolutionary Urdu poet and also a Marxist political activist of India. The show was produced by Ali Sardar Jafri, and it revolved around six great masters of modern Urdu and Islamic poetry. 

 

9. Mano Ya Na Mano

Irrfan turned host for the horror TV show Mano Ya Na Mano. He presented and hosted the first season in 2006. The show gave a glimpse of the uncanny real-life incidents that occurred across the country. It was a document-series based on myths, ancient beliefs, and unbelievable stunts done by the people.

10. Other shows

Apart from the above, Irrfan was acted in several popular shows on Star Plus. He acted in some of the episodes of Star Bestsellers. In one of the episodes, titled Ek Sham Ki Mulakat, he became a shopkeeper. He had a misconception that his landlord's wife is trying to seduce him, but ultimately he finds out that his own wife (played by Tisca Chopra) is cheating on him.  Another show had him play the role of an office accountant, who was seeking revenge from his female boss as she had insulted him. 

Theatre and television kept Irrfan going until he was offered a cameo in Salaam Bombay. However, his role was edited out in the final output. We share our heartfelt condolences, Rest In Peace Irrfan. 

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