Acclaimed Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passes away at 54

Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan died at the age of 54. He had been admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Tuesday, where he was under observation for colon infection. 

The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, and has been under medical attention for the same.

The news of his death was shared on Twitter by filmmaker Shoojit Sircar. “My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om Shanti. Irfaan Khan salute,” he wrote.

My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om shanti. Irfaan Khan salute.

— Shoojit Sircar (@ShoojitSircar) April 29, 2020

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter to express his condolences. He wrote: "Shocked to hear of the demise of Irrfan Khan, one of the most exceptional actors of our time. May his work always be remembered and his soul rest in peace."

Shocked to hear of the demise of Irrfan Khan, one of the most exceptional actors of our time. May his work always be remembered and his soul rest in peace

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 29, 2020

Bollywood Actress Richa Chadha said on twitter, she's 'gutted', 'refuse to accept'

Gutted.
I refuse to accept that he’s gone! You live on through your work, your legacy! You were a kind and evolved soul!
Hope you’re in a better place sir ... condolences to Sutapa ma’am. Really heartbroken !

— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) April 29, 2020

In 2019, the actor had undergone treatment abroad for several months, during this period he only worked on director Homi Adajania’s 'Angrezi Medium'. 

The actor's 95-year-old mother Saeeda Begum breathed her last on Saturday in Jaipur where she used to stay. However, owing to the ongoing lockdown, the actor could not physically attend his mother's last rites and reportedly paid his last respect through video conferencing.

Prior to his film's release, Irrfan had shared an empowering video message for his fans, stating that the only choice he had was to remain positive. “One doesn’t have any other choice but to remain positive. Whether you are able to make lemonade in such situations is entirely up to you. We’ve made this film with the same sort of positivity. I hope this film is able to make you laugh and cry in equal measure.”

The actor career spanned several decades and industries. He had been acclaimed for his roles in Indian cinema and was also a part if many international blockbusters like Slumdog Millionaire, Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man and Life of Pi. His Debut film 'Salaam Bombay! was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Some of his acclaimed works in India include Maqbool (2004), Paan Singh Tomar (2011), The Lunchbox (2013), Haider (2014), Gunday (2014), Piku (2015) and Talvar (2015) and Hindi Medium (2017).