Irfan Khan (actor)
Encyclopedia
Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan, popularly known as Irrfan Khan , is an India
n actor in film
, television
and theatre
. He received recognition for his roles in The Warrior
(2001), Maqbool
(2003), Haasil
(2004), The Namesake
(2006), A Mighty Heart
(2007), Life in a... Metro
(2007), Slumdog Millionaire
(2008), Billu (2009), New York
(2009), New York, I Love You
(2009), and Vodafone
commercials. He has won two Filmfare Awards
, a Screen Actors Guild Award
, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He is also the recipient of 2011 Padma Shri
award, the fourth highest civilian award in India. He has also been cast in The Amazing Spider-Man
as Nels Van Adder.He has appeared in more than 30 films in the Bollywood industry.
to a Muslim
Pathan
Nawab
family. Khan's mother, Sayeeda Begum, was from the Tonk Hakim family, and his father, the late Jagirdar, was from the Khajuriya village near the Tonk district
, and ran a tyre
business. Khan was studying for his M.A. degree when he earned a scholarship to study at National School of Drama
(NSD) in New Delhi
in 1984.
, where he acted in numerous television serials like Chanakya, Bharat Ek Khoj, Sara Jahan Hamara, Banegi Apni Baat
, Chandrakanta
(Doordarshan
), "AnooGoonj" on Doordarshan" Star Bestsellers (Star Plus
), and Sparsh. He was the main villain in a series called Darr (which aired on Star Plus
), where he played the role of a psycho serial killer, opposite Kay Kay Menon
. He also played the role of famous revolutionary Urdu poet and Marxist political activist of India Makhdoom Mohiuddin
in Kahkashan
produced by Ali Sardar Jafri
.
He acted in some of the episodes of Star Bestsellers
(aired on Star-Plus). In one of the episodes, his role was of a parchoon shopkeeper
who has a misconception that his landlord's wife is trying to seduce him and it turns out that his own wife (Tisca Chopra
) is cheating
on him. In the other one, he played the role of an office-accountant who, after being insulted by his female boss, took revenge. He also appeared in a serial called Bhanvar (aired on SET India
) for two episodes. In one episode, he performed the role of a thug who somehow lands in court, where he presents himself as a lawyer.
Theatre and television kept him afloat until Mira Nair
offered him a cameo
in Salaam Bombay (1988) though his role was edited out in the final film.
In the 1990s he appeared in the critically acclaimed film Ek Doctor Ki Maut
and Such a Long Journey (1998) and various other films which went unnoticed.
After many unsuccessful films, things changed when London-based director Asif Kapadia
gave him the lead in The Warrior
, a historical film completed in 11 weeks on location in Himachal Pradesh
and Rajasthan
. In 2001 The Warrior
opened in international film festivals, making Irrfan Khan a known face.
In 2003 he acted in Indian born writer-director, Asvin Kumar's short film, "Road to Ladakh". After the film received rave reviews at international festivals, the film is now being made into a full length feature, again starring Irrfan Khan. That same year he played the title role in the critically acclaimed Maqbool
, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth
.
His first Bollywood
main lead role came in 2005 with film Rog
. Thereafter he appeared in several films either playing the leading role or a supporting role as a villain
. In 2004 he won the Filmfare Best Villain Award
for his role in film Haasil
.
In 2007, he appeared in the box office hits Metro, for which he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
, and The Namesake
. They were closely followed by his appearance in the international films A Mighty Heart
and The Darjeeling Limited
.
Even after becoming a successful actor in Bollywood, he has not severed his ties with television. He anchored a show Mano Ya Na Mano (airing on Star One). He hosted another programme named Kyaa Kahein
which was similar to Mano Ya Na Mano
.
In 2008, he was featured as a narrator in an Arts Alliance production, id - Identity of the Soul
. The performance toured worldwide, with tens of thousands turning out to see the event as it toured the West Bank
. He also plays the police inspector in the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire
, for which he and the cast of the movie won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. About him, Danny Boyle said, "he has an instinctive way of finding the "moral center" of any character, so that in Slumdog, we believe the policeman might actually conclude that Jamal is innocent. Boyle compares him to an athlete who can execute the same move perfectly over and over. "It's beautiful to watch."
In 2009, he featured in the film Acid Factory
. Khan has stated that he wants to do more and more action films in the future. He also appeared as an FBI agent in New York
and as a Gujarati diamond merchant in New York, I Love You
. His future films include Paan Singh Tomar
in which he will essay the role of real-life Rajput
runner Paan Singh Tomar.
He recently worked on the third season of the HBO series In Treatment
, enacting the part of Sunil, who is finding it difficult to come to terms with his wife's death and loneliness after moving to New York, USA.
Khan said in an IGN interview that he will be playing Nels Van Adder, an adversary of Spider-Man, in The Amazing Spider-Man
.
He has two brothers, Imran Khan and Salman Khan and one sister Rukhsana Begum. They still live in Jaipur and run their businesses.
Sutapa said about him, "He was always focused. I remember when he would come home, he would head straight for the bedroom, sit on the floor, and read books. The rest of us would be hanging around gossiping," says Sikdar. Even now, as reads through at least one new Hollywood script a week, he believes in doing his homework, staying up till 3 in the morning, taking notes, trying to understand ways to play his character. Sikdar recalls how he would demand as many as 11 rewrites from her when he directed episodes of Banegi Apni Baat. "Once he dragged me to a police station in Mumbai to understand procedure," she recalls.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actor in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. He received recognition for his roles in The Warrior
The Warrior
The Warrior is a 2001 film by British-Indian filmmaker Asif Kapadia. It stars Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan as Lafcadia, a warrior in feudal Rajasthan who attempts to give up the sword....
(2001), Maqbool
Maqbool
Maqbool , a 2004 Indian film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Tabu and Masumeh Makhija is an adaptation of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare....
(2003), Haasil
Haasil
Haasil is Filmfare award-winning 2003 film directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Irfan Khan won Filmfare award for Best actor in negative role for his portrayal of Ranvijay Singh in the movie.Movie is set and shot in and around Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.-Plot:...
(2004), The Namesake
The Namesake (film)
The Namesake is a 2006 film which was released in the United States on March 9, 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. It was directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala...
(2006), A Mighty Heart
A Mighty Heart (film)
A Mighty Heart is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom; It is an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart. Although initially a financial failure, A Mighty Heart was met with relatively positive reviews from both critics and viewers alike.The film was screened out of...
(2007), Life in a... Metro
Life in a... Metro
Life in a... Metro is a 2007 Hindi film directed by Anurag Basu, set in Mumbai, and starring Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Kangana Ranaut, Sharman Joshi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan in pivotal roles. The music is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Sayeed...
(2007), Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
(2008), Billu (2009), New York
New York (film)
New York is a 2009 Bollywood thriller directed by Kabir Khan, produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, and with a screenplay by Sandeep Srivastava. Visual effects are by Visual Computing Labs, Tata Elxsi Ltd. It stars John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Irrfan Khan...
(2009), New York, I Love You
New York, I Love You
New York, I Love You is a 2009 romance film released in the United States on October 16, 2009. From the producer of Paris, je t'aime, it stars an ensemble cast, among them Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Anton Yelchin, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Irrfan Khan, Rachel Bilson,...
(2009), and Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
commercials. He has won two Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
, a Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards
A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He is also the recipient of 2011 Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award, the fourth highest civilian award in India. He has also been cast in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film)
The Amazing Spider-Man is an upcoming American superhero film based on the comic book of the same name that is currently in post-production. It is the fourth Columbia Pictures film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the first film in a rebooted Spider-Man film franchise. The film...
as Nels Van Adder.He has appeared in more than 30 films in the Bollywood industry.
Early life and background
Khan was born in JaipurJaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
to a Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
family. Khan's mother, Sayeeda Begum, was from the Tonk Hakim family, and his father, the late Jagirdar, was from the Khajuriya village near the Tonk district
Tonk District
Tonk District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Tonk is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is bounded on the north by Jaipur district, on the east by Sawai Madhopur district, on the southeast by Kota district, on the south by Bundi...
, and ran a tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
business. Khan was studying for his M.A. degree when he earned a scholarship to study at National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
(NSD) in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in 1984.
Career
After graduating in 1987, Khan moved to MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, where he acted in numerous television serials like Chanakya, Bharat Ek Khoj, Sara Jahan Hamara, Banegi Apni Baat
Banegi Apni Baat
Banegi Apni Baat is a Hindi television drama series that aired on Zee TV in 1994. The series was produced by Tony and Deeya Singh...
, Chandrakanta
Chandrakanta
Chandrakanta can refer to:*Chandrakanta, a Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri*Chandrakanta Santati, another novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri*Princess Chandrakanta, the main character in above two novels...
(Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
), "AnooGoonj" on Doordarshan" Star Bestsellers (Star Plus
STAR Plus
STAR Plus is a Hindi language general entertainment television channel based in India. The channel is part of the STAR TV network's bouquet of channels...
), and Sparsh. He was the main villain in a series called Darr (which aired on Star Plus
STAR Plus
STAR Plus is a Hindi language general entertainment television channel based in India. The channel is part of the STAR TV network's bouquet of channels...
), where he played the role of a psycho serial killer, opposite Kay Kay Menon
Kay Kay Menon
Kay Kay Menon is an Indian actor.-Early life:Menon was raised in Ambarnath and Pune, Maharashtra. His early life was in "H" type Rangehills, Khadki which were factory quarters for those working in the ammunition and high explosives factories. His father was popularly known as "Cashier Menon"...
. He also played the role of famous revolutionary Urdu poet and Marxist political activist of India Makhdoom Mohiuddin
Makhdoom Mohiuddin
Makhdoom Mohiuddin or Abu Sayeed Mohammad Makhdoom Mohiuddin Huzri was an Urdu poet and Marxist political activist of India. He was a distinguished revolutionary Urdu poet...
in Kahkashan
Kahkashan
Kahkashan is an Indian television series about six great masters of modern Urdu poetry: Hasrat Mohani, Jigar Moradabadi, Josh Malihabadi, Majaz Lucknawi, Firaq Gorakhpuri, and Makhdoom Mohiuddin. The serial was produced, researched and scripted by Ali Sardar Jafri and directed by Jalal Agha and...
produced by Ali Sardar Jafri
Ali Sardar Jafri
Ali Sardar Jafri was an Urdu writer, poet, critic and film lyricist from India.-Early life and education:Ali Sardar Jafri was born in an aristocratic family in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, where he spent his formative years....
.
He acted in some of the episodes of Star Bestsellers
Star Bestsellers
Star Bestsellers is an Indian television series that was originally telecast on Star Plus in 1999-2000. Each episode in the series is a separate story written and directed by young and upcoming writer-directors and it carried the special intensity for a different feeling but all about proper human...
(aired on Star-Plus). In one of the episodes, his role was of a parchoon shopkeeper
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
who has a misconception that his landlord's wife is trying to seduce him and it turns out that his own wife (Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra is an Indian film actress, most known for her role in Taare Zameen Par .-Early life and education:Born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh into a family of educationists, Tisca Chopra, did her schooling in Delhi, where her father was principal of her school...
) is cheating
Cheating
Cheating refers to the breaking of rules to gain advantage in a competitive situation. The rules infringed may be explicit, or they may be from an unwritten code of conduct based on morality, ethics or custom, making the identification of cheating a subjective process. Cheating can refer...
on him. In the other one, he played the role of an office-accountant who, after being insulted by his female boss, took revenge. He also appeared in a serial called Bhanvar (aired on SET India
Sony Entertainment Television (India)
This article is about the SET channel in India. For the Indian version broadcasted worldwide, see Sony Entertainment Television Asia.Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in India. It was launched in October 1996 and is owned by...
) for two episodes. In one episode, he performed the role of a thug who somehow lands in court, where he presents himself as a lawyer.
Theatre and television kept him afloat until Mira Nair
Mira Nair
Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination...
offered him a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in Salaam Bombay (1988) though his role was edited out in the final film.
In the 1990s he appeared in the critically acclaimed film Ek Doctor Ki Maut
Ek Doctor Ki Maut
Ek Doctor Ki Maut is a 1990 award winning film by noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha, which depicts the ostracism, bureaucratic negligence, reprimand and insult of a doctor and his research, instead of recognition...
and Such a Long Journey (1998) and various other films which went unnoticed.
After many unsuccessful films, things changed when London-based director Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadia is a British filmmaker of Indian descent. He directed several award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief , winner of the 2nd Prize Cinéfondation for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Warrior , which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film and Senna , winner of the...
gave him the lead in The Warrior
The Warrior
The Warrior is a 2001 film by British-Indian filmmaker Asif Kapadia. It stars Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan as Lafcadia, a warrior in feudal Rajasthan who attempts to give up the sword....
, a historical film completed in 11 weeks on location in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. In 2001 The Warrior
The Warrior
The Warrior is a 2001 film by British-Indian filmmaker Asif Kapadia. It stars Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan as Lafcadia, a warrior in feudal Rajasthan who attempts to give up the sword....
opened in international film festivals, making Irrfan Khan a known face.
In 2003 he acted in Indian born writer-director, Asvin Kumar's short film, "Road to Ladakh". After the film received rave reviews at international festivals, the film is now being made into a full length feature, again starring Irrfan Khan. That same year he played the title role in the critically acclaimed Maqbool
Maqbool
Maqbool , a 2004 Indian film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Tabu and Masumeh Makhija is an adaptation of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare....
, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
.
His first Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
main lead role came in 2005 with film Rog
Rog
The film's soundtrack is composed by M.M. Kreem with lyrics penned by Neelesh Misra and Sayeed Quadri.-Tracklist:...
. Thereafter he appeared in several films either playing the leading role or a supporting role as a villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
. In 2004 he won the Filmfare Best Villain Award
Filmfare Best Villain Award
The Filmfare Best Villain Award was given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise an actor who had delivered an outstanding performance in a negative role...
for his role in film Haasil
Haasil
Haasil is Filmfare award-winning 2003 film directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Irfan Khan won Filmfare award for Best actor in negative role for his portrayal of Ranvijay Singh in the movie.Movie is set and shot in and around Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.-Plot:...
.
In 2007, he appeared in the box office hits Metro, for which he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
, and The Namesake
The Namesake (film)
The Namesake is a 2006 film which was released in the United States on March 9, 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. It was directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala...
. They were closely followed by his appearance in the international films A Mighty Heart
A Mighty Heart (film)
A Mighty Heart is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom; It is an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart. Although initially a financial failure, A Mighty Heart was met with relatively positive reviews from both critics and viewers alike.The film was screened out of...
and The Darjeeling Limited
The Darjeeling Limited
The Darjeeling Limited is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, and starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman. It was written by Anderson, Schwartzman, and Roman Coppola...
.
Even after becoming a successful actor in Bollywood, he has not severed his ties with television. He anchored a show Mano Ya Na Mano (airing on Star One). He hosted another programme named Kyaa Kahein
Kyaa Kahein
Kyaa Kahein is a Hindi language supernatural drama series aired on Zoom channel. The series premiered in August 2004, and aired every Saturday at 9pm IST. The series is produced by Ekta Kapoor, and is similar to Balaji Telefilms' earlier thriller series, Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, which aired on...
which was similar to Mano Ya Na Mano
Mano Ya Na Mano (Zee TV)
Mano Ya Na Mano is a horror television drama-series aired on Zee TV channel in 1995. The series was produced by popular Indian actor Jeetendra's production house known as Balaji Telefilms, which is one of India's biggest television production house to date. The series was the first television show...
.
In 2008, he was featured as a narrator in an Arts Alliance production, id - Identity of the Soul
Id identity of the soul
id - Identity of the Soul is a work of performance art produced byMartine Rød and directed by Thomas Hoegh. The first version of this work, Terje, was performed in Yokohama, Japan in 2006 with Paal Ritter Schjerven as Co-Director and Director of Cinematography.and the latest version premiered in...
. The performance toured worldwide, with tens of thousands turning out to see the event as it toured the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. He also plays the police inspector in the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
, for which he and the cast of the movie won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. About him, Danny Boyle said, "he has an instinctive way of finding the "moral center" of any character, so that in Slumdog, we believe the policeman might actually conclude that Jamal is innocent. Boyle compares him to an athlete who can execute the same move perfectly over and over. "It's beautiful to watch."
In 2009, he featured in the film Acid Factory
Acid Factory
Acid Factory is a paranoid thriller directed by Suparn Verma under the banner of White Feather Films. The film released on 9 October 2009.-Plot:...
. Khan has stated that he wants to do more and more action films in the future. He also appeared as an FBI agent in New York
New York (film)
New York is a 2009 Bollywood thriller directed by Kabir Khan, produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, and with a screenplay by Sandeep Srivastava. Visual effects are by Visual Computing Labs, Tata Elxsi Ltd. It stars John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Irrfan Khan...
and as a Gujarati diamond merchant in New York, I Love You
New York, I Love You
New York, I Love You is a 2009 romance film released in the United States on October 16, 2009. From the producer of Paris, je t'aime, it stars an ensemble cast, among them Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Anton Yelchin, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Irrfan Khan, Rachel Bilson,...
. His future films include Paan Singh Tomar
Paan Singh Tomar
Paan Singh Tomar is a 2010 Hindi-language film is based on the true story of a runner who turned into a rebel. It is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. Irrfan Khan plays the lead character. Paan Singh Tomar premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute London Film...
in which he will essay the role of real-life Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
runner Paan Singh Tomar.
He recently worked on the third season of the HBO series In Treatment
In Treatment
In Treatment is an American HBO drama, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, about a psychologist, 50-something Dr. Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on...
, enacting the part of Sunil, who is finding it difficult to come to terms with his wife's death and loneliness after moving to New York, USA.
Khan said in an IGN interview that he will be playing Nels Van Adder, an adversary of Spider-Man, in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film)
The Amazing Spider-Man is an upcoming American superhero film based on the comic book of the same name that is currently in post-production. It is the fourth Columbia Pictures film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the first film in a rebooted Spider-Man film franchise. The film...
.
Personal life
On 23 February 1995, Khan married writer Sutapa Sikdar, who is also a NSD graduate. They have two children named Babil and Ayan.He has two brothers, Imran Khan and Salman Khan and one sister Rukhsana Begum. They still live in Jaipur and run their businesses.
Sutapa said about him, "He was always focused. I remember when he would come home, he would head straight for the bedroom, sit on the floor, and read books. The rest of us would be hanging around gossiping," says Sikdar. Even now, as reads through at least one new Hollywood script a week, he believes in doing his homework, staying up till 3 in the morning, taking notes, trying to understand ways to play his character. Sikdar recalls how he would demand as many as 11 rewrites from her when he directed episodes of Banegi Apni Baat. "Once he dragged me to a police station in Mumbai to understand procedure," she recalls.
Wins
- 2003: Filmfare Best Villain AwardFilmfare Best Villain AwardThe Filmfare Best Villain Award was given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise an actor who had delivered an outstanding performance in a negative role...
- Haasil - 2007: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
- Life in a Metro - 2008: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
- 2011: Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
Nominations
- 2007: Independent Spirit Award: Best Supporting Male - The NamesakeThe Namesake (film)The Namesake is a 2006 film which was released in the United States on March 9, 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. It was directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala...
- 2008: Stardust Best Supporting Actor AwardStardust Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Stardust Best Supporting Actor Award is chosen by the readers of the annual Stardust magazine. The award honours a star that has made an impact with their acting and represents new talent....
- The Namesake - 2008: IIFA Award: IIFA Best Supporting ActorIIFA Best Supporting Actor AwardThe IIFA Best Supporting Actor is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the ceremony. Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal and Abhishek Bachchan are leading with 2 wins.The winners are listed below:-- See also :* IIFA Awards* Bollywood...
- Life in a Metro
1980's
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Salaam Bombay | Letter writer | |
| 1989 | Kamla Ki Maut | Ajit | |
1990's
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Drishti Drishti Drishti is a multi-platform, open-source Volume Exploration and Presentation Tool. It was written for visualizing tomography data, electron-microscopy data and so forth. It aims to ease understanding of the data set and to assist with conveying that understanding to the research community or a... |
Rahul | |
| 1991 | Ek Doctor Ki Maut Ek Doctor Ki Maut Ek Doctor Ki Maut is a 1990 award winning film by noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha, which depicts the ostracism, bureaucratic negligence, reprimand and insult of a doctor and his research, instead of recognition... |
Amulya | Award winning film by Tapan Sinha |
2000's
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Warrior The Warrior The Warrior is a 2001 film by British-Indian filmmaker Asif Kapadia. It stars Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan as Lafcadia, a warrior in feudal Rajasthan who attempts to give up the sword.... |
Lafcadia - Warrior | |
| 2001 | Kasoor Kasoor Kasoor is a 2001 Bollywood suspense thriller film. The film, produced under Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Entertainment Ltd. is directed by Vikram Bhatt and features Aftab Shivdasani in his second Bollywood appearance and Lisa Ray in her Bollywood debut. Ray's voice was dubbed by Divya Dutta. The film... |
Public Prosecutor | |
| 2002 | Gunaah | Police Inspector Digvijay Pandey | |
| 2003 | Haasil Haasil Haasil is Filmfare award-winning 2003 film directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Irfan Khan won Filmfare award for Best actor in negative role for his portrayal of Ranvijay Singh in the movie.Movie is set and shot in and around Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.-Plot:... |
Ranvijay Singh | Winner, Filmfare Best Villain Award Filmfare Best Villain Award The Filmfare Best Villain Award was given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise an actor who had delivered an outstanding performance in a negative role... |
| Footpath | Sheikh | ||
| Maqbool Maqbool Maqbool , a 2004 Indian film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Tabu and Masumeh Makhija is an adaptation of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare.... |
Maqbool | ||
| 2004 | Shadows of Time Shadows of Time Shadows of Time is a 2004 romantic Bengali language German film, shot in Calcutta, India. It is the first feature-length film of Academy Award winning director Florian Gallenberger, and stars Prashant Narayanan, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Irrfan Khan and Soumitra Chatterjee in pivotal roles.-Plot:The... |
Yani Mishra | Bengali/German film |
| Aan: Men at Work Aan: Men at Work Aan: Men At Work is a 2004 Bollywood film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. The movie is about the life of a police officer fighting crime constantly.-Plot:Crime is at its highest peak in Mumbai with it split in three ways... |
Yusuf Pathan | ||
| Charas: A Joint Operation Charas: A Joint Operation Charas is a 2004 Bollywood film, produced by Arjum Rizvi and directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. 'Charas' is an action thriller and is set in kasol,a place near Manikaran in Kullu. Unlike what the title suggests, it is not about addiction to the drug but is about drug cultivation.... |
Ranbhir Singh Rathore | ||
| 2005 | Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets | Pipi | |
| Rog Rog The film's soundtrack is composed by M.M. Kreem with lyrics penned by Neelesh Misra and Sayeed Quadri.-Tracklist:... |
Inspector Uday Rathore | ||
| Chehraa Chehraa Chehraa , starring Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea, Preeti Jhangiani, and Irrfan Khan, is a Bollywood thriller, released in 2005.-Synopsis:Megha is a college student, in love with her classmate Aakash... |
Chandranath Diwan | ||
| 7½ Phere 7½ Phere 7½ Phere is a 2005 Indian Hindi film. It stars Juhi Chawla and was released in India on 29 July 2005.- Plot:After having tasted great success with soaps based on traditional families, a national TV network is getting into the next phase of programming - that is 'Reality TV' so they decide to go for... |
Manoj | ||
| 2006 | Yun Hota To Kya Hota Yun Hota To Kya Hota Yun Hota To Kya Hota is a 2006 Hindi film. The film directed by Naseeruddin Shah stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Ayesha Takia, Jimmy Shergill, Paresh Rawal, Boman Irani, Saroj Khan and Irfan Khan... |
Salim Rajabali | |
| The Killer The Killer (2006 film) The Killer is a 2006 Bollywood thriller directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala and Raksha Mistry, and starring Emraan Hashmi, Irrfan Khan and Nisha Kothari. Hashmi appears in the film as a taxi driver while Irrfan Khan stars as a hitman, who uses him to drive around places where he has to kill off his... |
Vikram/Roopchand Swaroopchand Solanki | ||
| Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante is a Bollywood film released in the year 2006 featuring Konkona Sen Sharma, Irfan Khan and Rajit Kapur in the lead roles. The film is a bollywood adaptation of the Charlize Theron-Kevin Bacon film Trapped, which was based on the Greg Iles novel 24 Hours.- Synopsis :Heart... |
Krish Vaidya | ||
| Sainikudu Sainikudu The film has six songs composed by Harris Jayaraj. The music of the film was released simultaneously in 10 chosen venues from five different countries – India, USA, Australia, Singapore and Dubai on the morning of 21 October 2006. The producer of the film, Ashwini Dutt, arranged the use of a... |
Pappu Yadav | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... film |
|
| 2007 | A Mighty Heart A Mighty Heart (film) A Mighty Heart is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom; It is an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart. Although initially a financial failure, A Mighty Heart was met with relatively positive reviews from both critics and viewers alike.The film was screened out of... |
Captain | Screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival 2007 Cannes Film Festival The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed... |
| Life in a Metro | Monty | Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role... . |
|
| The Namesake The Namesake (film) The Namesake is a 2006 film which was released in the United States on March 9, 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. It was directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala... |
Ashoke Ganguli | ||
| The Darjeeling Limited The Darjeeling Limited The Darjeeling Limited is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, and starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman. It was written by Anderson, Schwartzman, and Roman Coppola... |
The Father | ||
| Apna Asmaan | Ravi Kumar | ||
| Aaja Nachle Aaja Nachle The film's soundtrack was released on 18 October 2007 composed by Salim-Sulaiman and lyrics by Jaideep Sahni and Piyush Mishra. A few songs from the final sequence of the movie have not been included on the soundtrack including "Yeh Ishq".... |
Farooque, Najma's husband | ||
| Partition | Avtar | ||
| 2008 | Road to Ladakh | Short film | |
| Tulsi Tulsi (2008 film) Tulsi: Mathrudevobhava is a 2008 Bollywood film. The film is directed by Ajay Kumar and stars Manisha Koirala and Irfan Khan. The film is a official remake of 1993 Telugu language film Mathru Devo Bhava which, again has been remade from Malayalam language film Akshadhoodu directed by Sibi... |
Suraj | ||
| Sunday Sunday (2008 film) Sunday is a 2008 Bollywood film directed by Rohit Shetty starring Ayesha Takia and Ajay Devgan in the lead roles. Arshad Warsi and Irfan Khan play major supporting roles while Tusshar Kapoor and Esha Deol make special appearances in the film. The story revolves around a girl named Sehar who is... |
Kumar | ||
| Krazzy 4 Krazzy 4 Krazzy 4 is a 2008 Bollywood comedy film directed by Jaideep Sen and produced by Rakesh Roshan. The film stars Juhi Chawla, Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan, Suresh Menon and Rajpal Yadav in lead role while Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan appear in item numbers... |
Dr. Mukherjee | ||
| Mumbai Meri Jaan | Thomas | ||
| Slumdog Millionaire Slumdog Millionaire Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup... |
Police Inspector | Winner, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. | |
| Chamku Chamku (film) Chamku is a 2008 Indian crime drama film written and directed by Kabeer Kaushik. It stars Bobby Deol in the eponymous role. It also co-stars Priyanka Chopra, Danny Denzongpa and Irrfan Khan... |
Mr Kapoor | ||
| Dil Kabaddi Dil Kabaddi Dil Kabaddi is a Hindi film directed by debutante Anil Sharma . The film stars Irrfan Khan, Rahul Bose, Konkona Sen Sharma, Soha Ali Khan, Payal Rohatgi, Rahul Khanna and special appearance by Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.... |
Samit | ||
| 2009 | Acid Factory Acid Factory Acid Factory is a paranoid thriller directed by Suparn Verma under the banner of White Feather Films. The film released on 9 October 2009.-Plot:... |
Kaizar | |
| Billu | Billu/Vilas Pardesi | ||
| New York New York (film) New York is a 2009 Bollywood thriller directed by Kabir Khan, produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, and with a screenplay by Sandeep Srivastava. Visual effects are by Visual Computing Labs, Tata Elxsi Ltd. It stars John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Irrfan Khan... |
Roshan (FBI Official) | ||
| New York, I Love You New York, I Love You New York, I Love You is a 2009 romance film released in the United States on October 16, 2009. From the producer of Paris, je t'aime, it stars an ensemble cast, among them Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Anton Yelchin, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Irrfan Khan, Rachel Bilson,... |
Mansuhkhbai | ||
2010's
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Right Yaaa Wrong Right Yaaa Wrong Right Yaaa Wrong is a 2010 Bollywood film directed by Neeraj Pathak, starring Sunny Deol and Irrfan Khan in the lead roles. The film is based on the lives of two interesting police officers of India, who later become strong rivals. It also stars Isha Koppikar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kirron Kher, Aryan... |
Vinay Patnaik | |
| 2010 | Hisss | Vikram Gupta | |
| 2010 | Knock Out | Bacchoo/ Tony Khosla | |
| 2011 | Yeh Saali Zindagi Yeh Saali Zindagi Yeh Saali Zindagi is a 2011 Hindi romantic drama film directed by Sudhir Mishra and starring Irrfan Khan, Arunoday Singh, Chitrangda Singh and Aditi Rao Hydari. The film was released on February 4, 2011.-Plot:... |
Arun | |
| 2011 | 7 Khoon Maaf | Wasiullah Khan a.k.a. Musafir | |
| 2011 | Thank You Thank You (2011 film) Thank You is a 2011 Bollywood romantic comedy film directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. It features Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Sonam Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Irrfan Khan, Celina Jaitley and Rimi Sen. The film was released on April 8, 2011. Thank You is about three married men... |
Vikram | |
Upcoming Projects
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Amazing Spider-Man The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film) The Amazing Spider-Man is an upcoming American superhero film based on the comic book of the same name that is currently in post-production. It is the fourth Columbia Pictures film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the first film in a rebooted Spider-Man film franchise. The film... |
Nels Van Adder | filming |
| Banker To The Poor | filming | ||
| Life of Pi | Adult Piscine Molitor Patel ("Pi") | Filming | |
| Jai Ramji | pre-production | ||
| Phansi | pre-production | ||
| Paan Singh Tomar Paan Singh Tomar Paan Singh Tomar is a 2010 Hindi-language film is based on the true story of a runner who turned into a rebel. It is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. Irrfan Khan plays the lead character. Paan Singh Tomar premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute London Film... |
Paan Singh Tomar | delayed | |
| 2013 | Qissi | pre-production | |
Television
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Chanakya Chanakya (TV series) Chanakya is a 47-part Indian television historical drama written and directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi that was originally telecast on DD National from September 1991 to August 1992... |
"Senapati" Bhadrashaal | |
| 1994 | Chandrakanta Chandrakanta Chandrakanta can refer to:*Chandrakanta, a Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri*Chandrakanta Santati, another novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri*Princess Chandrakanta, the main character in above two novels... |
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| 1995 | Banegi Apni Baat Banegi Apni Baat Banegi Apni Baat is a Hindi television drama series that aired on Zee TV in 1994. The series was produced by Tony and Deeya Singh... |
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| 1999 | Star Bestsellers Star Bestsellers Star Bestsellers is an Indian television series that was originally telecast on Star Plus in 1999-2000. Each episode in the series is a separate story written and directed by young and upcoming writer-directors and it carried the special intensity for a different feeling but all about proper human... |
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