One of Bollywood's finest actors, Irrfan Khan breathed his last on Wednesday, April 29 in Mumbai. The actor passed away aged 53. After being admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Tuesday, where was under observation for colon infection, the news of his passing was confirmed in an official statement by his publicist. It has certainly come as a shock to many of his colleagues and fans who were hoping for a speedy recovery for the actor after news of his hospitalisation was released. The actor in 2018 had announced that he’d been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour and underwent treatment abroad for several months in 2019. Irrfan Khan Dies at 53; Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Others Tweet Condolence Messages.

Irrfan touched many lives through his amazing performances and even with his recent release Angrezi Medium, the actor showed that he had resurrected from all the hardships he faced due to his health and gave yet another brilliant performance. In his career spanning nearly 30 years, the actor starred in not only famous Bollywood but also Hollywood ventures. He made his screen debut with the Academy Award-nominated film Salaam Bombay directed by Mira Nair but before that also did some supporting roles in Television. Khan was well-known for bringing a touch of realism to his roles that further left a lasting impression on the audiences. As we condole the loss of such a fine actor his generation, here's looking at some of his most memorable performances.

Haasil

The 2003 Tigmanshu Dhulia directorial introduced us to the talent that Irrfan Khan is with the most special role. The film also starring Jimmy Shergill revolved around university politics, crime, power and love and also packed one of Khan's best performances that further put him on the map. Khan impressed everyone with his negative role as Ranvijay Singh and his performance also fetched him the Best Actor in a Negative role award at Filmfare that year.

Maqbool

Irrfan Khan played the character of Maqbool in the film directed by Vishal Bharadwaj which was an adaptation of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare. With an exceptional performance in this haunting tragedy, the actor left the audiences stunned. Irrfan essayed the role of a man stuck between desire and duty beautifully in this film and till today, this remains to be one of his most impressive performances for fans.

Paan Singh Tomar

In this Tigmanshu Dhulia directorial, Irrfan truly outperformed himself to bring to life the character of a National Champion turned dacoit. The film won him praises from audiences as well as critics unanimously. Irrfan managed to bring the struggle of going from an athlete to being forced to turn into a rebel with nuance in a fantastic storytelling.

The Lunchbox

In Riteish Batra's The Lunchbox, Khan shed his usual image to turn into an average working-class, middle-aged man Saajan Fernandes whose loneliness finds an unlikely companion in with his Tiffin box provider. Khan's performance struck the right nerves with his moving act and once again, he managed to prove with this film that he's capable to pull off any given role with equal honesty and finesse.

Hindi Medium and Angrezi Medium:

Both being a part of the same franchise had Khan pulling off diverse roles. While Hindi Medium took on a satirical look at the education system in India, the new release dealt with the burdens of foreign education. Irrfan effortlessly nailed both these performances as he went from being a Chandni Chowk based Saree store owner in Delhi to a sweet mart owner trying to fulfil his daughter's abroad dreams in the other. We can't imagine any other actor in these roles, such has been the charm of Irrfan.

Piku

In Shoojit Sircar's Piku, though Irrfan was cast in a supporting role alongside Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan, there's no way the film would have been as much fun without him. His brilliant comic timing brings some of the best moments in Piku. Be it his hilarious exchanges with Amitabh Bachchan's character or his family scenes, Khan's Piku character stays with us long after watching the film. Irrfan Khan Dies at 53, Shoojit Sircar Tweets Condolence Message.

Looking at all of these performances, we are convinced that a talent like Irrfan Khan is unmatched and rare. The actor will be dearly missed and we will forever cherish the magic he created on-screen with these amazing roles.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2020 01:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).