The movie "Starting Line 2" became the legacy of Irfan Khan.
Movie "Lunch box"
Movie "The Fantasy Drift of The Young Pi"
"I'm looking for stories that touch the audience and connect with them. No matter where I find them, whether it's Hollywood, Bollywood, or France, I'm going to keep going. ”
On April 29, the famous Indian actor Irfan Khan, who starred in the movies "The Fantasy Drift of Pi" and "Slum Millionaire", died of illness at a hospital in Mumbai at the age of 53.
Irfan Khan has gained great recognition in both the Bollywood and Hollywood film industries and is one of the most familiar Indian actors for Chinese audiences. In 2014, he won the Asian Film Award for Best Actor for his film "Lunchbox", and the actors nominated included Liang Chaowei in "A Generation of Grandmasters" and Song Kanghao in "The Defender".
Fight cancer for two years——
In 2018, Irfan revealed that he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor, "Sometimes when you wake up, your life changes dramatically. I never thought that I, who had been looking for films reflecting rare themes, had also become the protagonist of rare diseases. Irfan has been receiving treatment in London ever since.
Last September, he returned to India to shoot the film "Starting Line 2", which everyone saw as a sign that his condition was improving. On 28 April, Illfan, whose condition had deteriorated, was taken to the intensive care unit and died in vain. Fans lamented his departure, quoting a line from "Young Pi" to express regret: "I guess life is constantly letting go, but the most painful thing is that it is too late to say goodbye." ”
He complained that Ang Lee hadn't brought him to China
For Chinese audiences, most of them are known to Irfan through Ang Lee's film "The Fantasy Drifting of Young Pi". Released in China in 2012, Irfan plays the adult Pi, who tells the thrilling story to the audience with his own characteristic calm. In the end, "Young Pi" won 11 Oscar nominations, but director Ang Lee was still upset that Irfan was not nominated for an acting award.
In his native India, "Young Pi" has also received attention. At the 43rd Indian International Film Festival in 2012, "Young Pi" not only served as the opening film of the festival, but also enjoyed the treatment of being screened twice. Irfan once said that he had a long journey with this film, and he would have different feelings at different times.
After Ilfan's death, director Ang Lee also expressed his condolences: "Two years ago, when I heard that he had this rare disease, I greeted him, and he said that he would face it calmly and bravely. He was a man who loved life and art, and his death was a loss to the art of cinema and a pain to his friends. ”
Irfan once said that he liked China very much, read a lot of books about China, always wanted to see China, and even complained a little about director Ang Lee not taking him with him when he was promoting in China. Now this has become his eternal regret.
Accumulate acting experience by starring in soap operas
Irfan's mother came from a large Muslim family and was of royal descent, and his father ran a tire business, the eldest of three siblings. After graduating from the National Academy of Drama of India, he successfully began his film career.
In 1988, female director Mira Nair discovered his acting talent and put him in a small role in Good Morning Mumbai. The film, which presents the tragic experiences of street children in Mumbai's slums in a documentary-style documentary style, not only won the Golden Camera Award at the Cannes Film Festival, but was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Later, Irfan, who experienced the downturn in soap operas, recalled: "I entered the industry to tell stories and make movies, but all I could find at that time was soap opera characters. With these soap operas, Irfan gained acting experience.
In 2001, Irfan starred in a small-budget british directorial debut, The Return of god of war. The film, which was initially not much attention, won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film. Two years later, his participation in "Macbury", based on Shakespeare's classic "Macbeth", brought him into the mainstream film vision.
Hollywood's most familiar Indian face
Director Mira Nair, who cut out Irfan's role in "Good Morning Mumbai", invited Irfan again when filming the new film "The Same Celebrity" in 2006 to play the father of the male protagonist. It is said that director Wes Anderson saw his performance in "The Same Celebrity", invited him to make a cameo appearance in the movie "Crossing Darjeeling", and even tailored a role for him.
Since then, Irfan has been very successful in Hollywood. In Slumdog Millionaire, he is the cop who tortures the male protagonist; in The Amazing Spider-Man, he is the ruthless elite villain from the consortium; in Jurassic World, he is the big boss who prepares to resurrect the dinosaurs; in Dante's Code, he is the provost of the mysterious underground consortium.
Irfan quickly became the most familiar Indian face in Hollywood. But Irfan did not want to be fully integrated, but always kept thinking. In an interview, he answered why he would go to Hollywood: "In India, the storyline is sometimes determined by the personality characteristics of the actors, so everything will follow the image. I chose to make a movie in Hollywood because in Hollywood the story is at its core, and everyone is trying to tell a good story, not to create a superstar. As an actor, Hollywood is a great opportunity for me to reach out to the whole world. ”
The term "Bollywood" has never been recognized
When Hollywood was in full swing, Irfan chose to return to India. In 2013, he starred in the romance film "Lunchbox", playing a middle-aged widowed accountant. "Bollywood is my home, I grew up in those movies, and I always wanted to be a part of those movies."
Irfan, who has become the pride of India, has also brought reflections and views on Indian cinema, hoping to revitalize the entire industry. For example, he once said that he has always been disgusted by the name Bollywood: "The Indian film industry has its own system, which was not born out of Hollywood at all." Its roots actually come from the comedy of the ancient Parsi people. Hollywood movies pay attention to pre-planning, while Indian movies are the opposite, there is no plan at all, and they pay attention to improvisation and casual things. I think we should be like Hollywood and give stories more respect. ”
In 2017, he starred in the educational film "Starting Line" once again conquered Indian audiences, and after being introduced to China, it not only earned 210 million domestic box office, but also triggered a big discussion about education.
Written by Beijing News reporter Li Yan