Photos: Remembering versatile Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan on his birth anniversary

Late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan’s birth anniversary is a good time to take a look at his films, each a lesson in effortless acting. Khan has acted in over a 100 films and it’s hard to pick the best, but we tried:

The Namesake (2006): Director Mira ‘The Namesake’ explored the lives of first- Indian immigrants in the United States — Ashok and Ashima Ganguli (Khan and Tabu). It’s a film that would resonate with all expatriates and immigrants as the acting powerhouses portray rifts that culture and age can wedge into a family making sense of a different country.

The Lunchbox (2013): Irrfan Khan plays Saajan Fernandez, an unassuming widower and accountant on the brink of retirement. However, life takes a different turn when Ila (Nimrat Kaur) inadvertently sends him home-cooked food in a tiffin box. Watch as love blossoms naturally in a way that only Irrfan could portray.

Piku (2015): Directed by Shoojit Sircar, this rates as one of Khan’s finest films. He plays the owner of a car rental who takes a father-daughter duo — Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone — on a road trip to Kolkata. Journey with Khan as he experiences frustration, humour, anger as all three actors put their best foot forward.

Hindi Medium (2017) and Angrezi Medium (2020: Watch Khan give a lecture — of course, without one being aware of it — on the education system in India and the pressure of admitting one’s child into an English medium school. In true Khan style, you end up laughing at yourself, without knowing it, of course.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Khan’s role was not the biggest in this film, but enough to catapult him to the global stage. He plays a bully of a police inspector, quizzing Jamal (Dev Patel). The film went on to win eight Academy Awards.

Life of Pi (2012). In this Ang Lee directorial, Khan is heard more than he is seen as he plays the narrator and the adult version of the protagonist, Pi Patel. The film was one of the highest grossing that year, nabbing four Oscar Awards.