Indian actor Irrfan Ali Khan died on Wednesday at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, where he was receiving treatment for a colon infection.
A statement released on behalf of his family confirmed his demise and revealed that he was with loved ones during his final moments.
"Surrounded by his love and his family whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace," read the statement.
"To resonate and part with his words he said, [it was] 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it'."
The actor was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018 and had travelled to London for treatment.
After initial treatment, he recovered well enough to shoot his final film, 'Angrezi Medium' which was released on March 13, 2020, before being cut short due to lockdown amid coronavirus outbreak. Khan did not join the promotions of the movie due to his cancer treatment.
Within a career spanning over 30 years, Khan starred in over 50 Bollywood moves such as 'Maqbool', 'The Lunch Box', 'Piku' and 'Hindi Medium' since his debut. For his exceptional performances, he has won awards such as National Film Award and Filmfare Awards in four categories. In 2011, he was given the Padma Shiri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India.
Crossing over to Hollywood, Khan first international feature was in 'The Warrior' which was shot in India. In his British-American cinema career, he is well known for roles such as chief of police in Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart, and a policeman in Slumdog Millionaire, a movie which bagged eight Oscars.
He also starred in big-budget Hollywood movies such as 'The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, 'Life of Pi', 'Jurassic World' and 'Inferno.
Since news of his demise came, messages of condolences have poured from fans and stars, celebrating Khan's legacy.
T 3516 - .. just getting news of the passing of Irfaan Khan .. this is a most disturbing and sad news .. 🙏
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 29, 2020
An incredible talent .. a gracious colleague .. a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema .. left us too soon .. creating a huge vacuum ..
Prayers and duas 🙏
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
The actor is survived by his wife, writer and fellow NSD graduate Sutapa Sikdar whom he married in February 1995, and two sons Babil and Ayan Khan.
Local news outlets report that Khan's mother Saeeda Begum, 95 passed away in Jaipur on April 25. Khan was at the time in lockdown in Mumbai and was unable to attend her final rituals in person.
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