Actor Irrfan Khan died on Wednesday in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital where he was admitted for colon infection, his family and publicist confirmed. He is survived by his wife Sutapa and two sons.
A statement released by his family said that Mr Khan spent his final hours "surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about." Yesterday, his spokesperson confirmed that he had been taken to the intensive care unit.
The actor of international acclaim, battled a tumour for several months and was being treated in London. He returned to Mumbai few months ago.
The statement released on behalf of Irrfan Khan's family reads: "'I trust, I have surrendered'; These were the some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heart-felt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it'."
The actor's spokesperson had released a statement earlier when Irrfan Khan's hospitalisation spread on Tuesday evening: "Yes, it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of his well wishers, he will recover soon."
Irrfan's wife Sutapa Sikdar and his sons Babil and Ayan Khan were also at the hospital. The actor was diagnosed with an neuroendocrine tumour in March 2018.
On Saturday, Irrfan's mother, Saeeda Begum, died in Jaipur. The actor couldn’t attend the funeral due to the nationwide lockdown.
Irrfan Khan was last seen in Angrezi Medium, which was released earlier this year. His movie credits include The Lunchbox , Paan Singh Tomar, Life in a Metro, The Namesake, Haasil, Talvar, Hindi Medium, and many more. He gained international stardom with his roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire. The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World and Inferno. He also starred in Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's Doob.
Deeply saddened by his untimely demise, Farooki told Dhaka Tribune Showtime: "What can I say at this time... It's a great loss for world cinema. On a personal level, it's such a great loss to lose a friend, a poet, a philosopher."
