Mira Nair's "The Namesake" is considered one of the best works of Irrfan Khan and the filmmaker now shares the story of how she met and developed a long-lasting friendship with the actor, who passed away after a battle with cancer.
While scouting talent for her 1988 feature "Salaam Bombay!", Nair went to the National School of Drama in Delhi where she spotted the then 18-year-old actor - "tall and gangly and angular  like a praying mantis".
"And of course, he had this extraordinary face. He was only 18, but he still had a craggy face and those hooded eyes. The interesting thing was that he was very keenly focused. He was acutely observant and very open, not filled with any kind of big attitude," the director recalled during a telephonic conversation with the New York Times.
Irrfan, 54, died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday after a two year fight with a rare form of cancer. He was buried at the Versova graveyard.
Nair said that the actor left the drama school on her request and lived .

Mira Nair recalls working with Irrfan Khan in 'Salaam Bombay!', 'Namesake'

PTI Automatic

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Natalie Portman are among the Hollywood celebrities who have mourned the death of actor Irrfan Khan.
The 54-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was buried at the Versova graveyard.
Pratt and Howard had famously collaborated with Irrfan on their 2015 blockbuster "Jurassic World" and they remembered the actor as a "screen legend" and an "exquisite human being".
"So sad to hear about the passing of screen legend @irrfank . Irrfan Khan played Masrani in 'Jurassic World'. He was an exquisite actor and human. He will be missed," Pratt tweeted.
Howard shared two stills of hers with Irrfan from the Colin Trevorrow-directed adventure thriller and said she feels "lucky" to have worked with the actor.
"Irrfan, you are an exquisite human being and we will all miss you dearly. These images are from the first and last day of filming, and I was lucky enough to spend them working with you. Love ..

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Natalie Portman and others from Hollywood remember Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan stood out for his generosity, says Hollywood star Angelina Jolies as she remembered her "A Mighty Heart" co-star, who passed away after a battle with cancer.
The 54-year-old actor died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday after a two year fight ?with a rare form of cancer. He was buried at the Versova graveyard.
Jolie and Irrfan collaborated on Michael Winterbottom's 2007 film about US journalist Daniel Pearl who was killed in Pakistan in 2002.
She played the role of Pearl's widow Marianne, while Irrfan appeared as Zeeshan Kazmi, the chief of Karachi Police.
In a statement, Jolie said it was a "privilege" for her to work with Irrfan as she hailed for his commitment to his craft.
"I had the privilege of working with Irrfan Khan on the set of A Mighty Heart. He stood out for his generosity as an artist, which made it a pleasure to work in any scene with him," Jolie said.
"I remember the intensity of his commitment, and equally his smile. I send my condolences and my sympathy to 

Angelina Jolie pays homage to 'A Mighty Heart' co-star Irrfan Khan

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor is not keeping well and has been admitted to a city hospital here, his elder brother Randhir Kapoor said.
The 67-year-old actor was taken to H N Reliance hospital by his family on Wednesday morning.
"He is in the hospital. He is suffering from cancer and he has some breathing problem, so he has been admitted to the hospital. He is stable now," Randhir told PTI.
The actor returned to India last September after undergoing treatment for cancer in the US for almost a year.
In February, Kapoor was hospitalised twice due to his health issues.
He was first admitted to a hospital in Delhi where he was attending a family function. At the time, Kapoor had said that he was suffering from an "infection".
After his return to Mumbai, he was again admitted to a hospital with viral fever. He was discharged soon after.
Kapoor, who has been quite active on social media, hasn't posted anything on his Twitter account since April 2.
The actor recently announced his next project, 

Rishi Kapoor admitted to hospital

Nimrat Kaur, who shared screen space with Irrfan Khan in Ritesh Batra's critically-acclaimed feature "The Lunchbox", remembers the actor as a keen observer of life whose mere presence was enough for a frame.
The 54-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon.
Nimrat recalled that throughout the making of the 2013 film, she didn't get much opportunity to interact with Irrfan but got to know him during the promotions.
"We didn't really cross paths more than a couple of times when we were shooting for 'The Lunchbox'. But I got time to spend with him during promotions and when the film had released at Cannes Film festival and had premiered there, Nimrat told PTI.
"He was deeply rooted as a human being and was a keen observer of life and nothing missed eyes, he had a razor sharp wit. He was a perfect vessel as an actor where he would come and with him being the vehicle, the ...

Irrfan Khan was a keen observer of life: Nimrat Kaur

Pakistani actor Saba Qamar, who starred opposite Irrfan Khan in 2017's "Hindi Medium", said she is at loss of words with the untimely demise of her co-star.
The 54-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon.
Saba said she does hope things were better between India and Pakistan as she wants to meet Irrfan's wife Sutapa and their two sons Babil and Ayaan.
"I'm numb today. I still cannot accept the loss of a brilliant co-actor Irrfan. I really am at a loss for words. It's very heart wrenching for me tosay rest in peace Irrfan.
"I really hope things were better between our countries and I could go see his family but my heartfelt condolences to his family," Saba told PTI.
She said Irrfan's death is a huge loss to world cinema.
"We lost a gem today. It's a huge loss to the cinema world and I hope we become able to bear that," she said.
"Hindi Medium"', directed by Saket ...

We lost a gem today: Irrfan Khan's 'Hindi Medium' co-star Saba Qamar

Director Ali Abbas Zafar says Irrfan Khan played an important role in his career when he worked with the actor on his 2014 directorial "Gunday".
The 54-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon.
The movie was the second directorial project of Ali's career after his 2011 debut "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan". Besides Irrfan, the film also featured Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.
The director said the film was a learning experience for him as he got to work with the National Award-winning actor.
"I have been fortunate to have worked with a wide range of actors and Irrfan is phenomenal, I can't say he was. While shooting for Gunday' I would often tell him, I can't take my eyes off your eyes. He had such expressive big eyes we would joke about how big they are for the camera.
"I remember he had said, less is more on camera the more restrained you are the ...

Learnt a lot from him: Ali Abbas Zafar on Irrfan Khan

Filmmaker Anurag Basu, who directed Irrfan Khan in his 2007 movie "Life In A... Metro", said he was hopeful the actor will come out of the cancer battle.
Irrfan died on Wednesday, losing a two-year battle with neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer that targets various organs of the body. He was 54.
Basu, who has himself battled cancer, said he hoped that Irrfan would also win his fight with the disease like he did. In 2004, the director was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
"I was hoping he would pull it off. I was hopeful because I had pulled through it. He was responding well to the treatment so we thought... This is very unfortunate. I couldn't meet him. I am feeling very very bad for it as I will never get to see him.
"But I did meet Sutapa (Irrfan's wife) while the treatment was going on. It was a long, long fight. He fought this battle alone away from everyone," the filmmaker told PTI.
Basu said when Irrfan was diagnosed with ...

I was hoping he will pull it off: Anurag Basu on Irrfan Khan's battle with cancer

Rajasthan governor Kalraj Mishra, chief minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and other leaders on Wednesday condoled the death of bollywood actor Irrfan Khan.
In his condolence message, Mishra said Irrfan was a natural artist who ruled everyone's heart with his performance. He said the cine world has suffered irreparable loss due to the death of Irrfan.
"Irrfan Khan made his identity in both Bollywood and Hollywood and made the state and the country proud," he said.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said he was saddened to know about the demise of the actor.
"I am saddened and shocked to know about the untimely demise of one of our country's most versatile actors, Irrfan Khan. My heartfelt condolences to his family friends and fans. May God give them strength," Gehlot tweeted.
Pilot too expressed grief saying Irrfan's contribution to the world of cinema will always be remembered.
"Saddened to know about the demise of acclaimed ...

Political leaders in Rajasthan condole Irrfan's death

Filmmaker Homi Adajania is eternally grateful to have gotten a chance to work with Irrfan Khan in his last days and he says that the short time he spent with the actor on "Angrezi Medium" will remain close to his heart.
Irrfan,one of India's finest and most versatile actors, passed away from a rare form of cancer in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was 54.
Homi directed the actor in "Angrezi Medium", a sequel to Irrfan's 2017 blockbuster "Hindi Medium", when he returned to the country last year after undergoing treatment in the UK.
The film, which also Radhika Madan, Deepak Dobriyal and Kareena Kapoor Khan,  released in March. Irrfan, however, took a step back from the film's promotion owing to his health condition.
The director took to Instagram and uploaded a candid picture from the film's set, where the 54-year-old actor is leaning on his shoulder.
"We laughed about you dying... in fact we often abused your 'uninvited guests'... but I didn't think I'd feel so f***ing broken when .

Homi Adajani, Dinesh Vijan and 'Angrezi Medium' team remember Irrfan Khan

A film with his "Piku" director Shoojit Sircar and another with his frequent collaborator Vishal Bharadwaj were among the projects that were in pipeline for Irrfan Khan but his worsening health prevented him from working on the movies.
The 54-year-old actor, who died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, was also supposed to work on Amazon series "Gormint" but had to exit the project due to his health issues.
With Shoojit, who earlier directed him in 2015's "Piku", Irrfan was set to work on the biopic on the freedom fighter Udham Singh.
The filmmaker is now making the movie with actor Vicky Kaushal in the lead and had recently shared his first look from the film.
Ronnie Lahiri, who is producing the project, said in the early days of the production, they decided to wait for Irrfan's return after his treatment but they mutually decided to move ahead with a different actor.
"We had mutually discussed that he won't be in a physical situation to do such a complex role and he had asked ..

Irrfan was set to collaborate with Shoojit Sircar, Vishal Bharadwaj and others before his death

British filmmaker Danny Boyle on Wednesday paid rich tributes to the "wonderful actor" Irrfan Khan, who died in Mumbai aged 53, describing him as a "pivotal" figure in the making of his 2009 Oscar Award-winning directorial venture Slumdog Millionaire.
Boyle recalled that though the role of the police inspector played by Khan was not a huge one, the actor saw the potential in it and also went on to reassure an important partner on the project by his decision.
"Irrfan was a wonderful actor and a pivotal figure in the making of 'Slumdog Millionaire'," Boyle told the BBC.
"It wasn't a huge role and in fact on paper it was even less rewarding looking. But Irrfan saw the possibility of guiding our audience with his dignity, his grace, his charm, his intelligence and his calmness, through this crossword puzzle of an idea of a film," he recalls.
The film, which went on to win a record eight Oscars in 2009, including one for musician A R Rahman for 'Jai Ho' song.
"He [Khan] also reassured one .

Irrfan Khan pivotal to Slumdog Millionaire's success: Danny Boyle

Irrfan Khan is gone but like a true artiste will live through his stunning body of work in a career spanning three decades.
As his fans and friends remember the wonderful artiste and human being, here is a look back at some of his memorable screen outings.
The actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday.
"Salaam Bombay" (1988)
Irrfan, who had left behind his father's business and a career in cricket, started his career on a humble note with Mira Nair's movie about the boys living in the slums of the maximum city. Most of his cameo ended on the cutting floor but for a mere blink-and-you-miss appearance.
"The Warrior" (2001)
After a couple of odd jobs in a few films, Irrfan broke out on the international stage with Asif Kapadia's film about a warrior in feudal Rajasthan.
The actor's menacing turn as Lafcadia won over the critics, both in India and around the world, and opened up opportunities for Irrfan to showcase his skills.
"Haasil" ...

Irrfan Khan: Selected filmography

With his simple personality, a charming smile and a wide range of work, Irrfan Khan broke the language barrier when it came to connecting with his fans, many of whom term his untimely demise as a "personal loss".
Be it a metropolitan like Delhi, or a small town like Jorhat in Assam or Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, the actor's fans are in every nook and corner of the country and they are all mourning today.
Irrfan lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was 54.
The news of his sudden demise came as a shock to his fans, with many people posting their heartfelt tributes on social media, while several others changed their WhatsApp statuses and display pictures to condole the loss.
"I was watching business news when the news about his death flashed. I was shocked and actually cried, Padmaja Tamuli, a teacher hailing from Jorhat, Assam, said.
Chetan Patil, a Pune-based software engineer, said, "You could watch many of his movies repeatedly like .

Fans mourn Irrfan Khan's death as 'personal loss'

Actor Irrfan Khan was so good at his craft that sometimes creators of his films had to ask him to do "gandi (bad) acting" and spoon-feed the audience.
Irrfan was once in conversation with actor Kangna Ranaut during a web show "Film Companion" where the two critically-acclaimed artists talked about their profession and skills.
The anecdote also finds a mention in Aseem Chhabra's book "Irrfan Khan  The Man, The Dreamer, The Star".
At one point, during the conversation, Irrfan recalled how filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt had once asked him to do "bad acting" during the making of a Hindi film.
"Bhatt saab is a very intelligent person; he is very aware. He would say, 'Arre Irrfan, gandi acting kar (Irrfan, do bad acting). Spoon-feed the audience'," Irrfan is quoted as saying in the book.
Irrfan had been trained in theatre, and his outlook and desire was to make good artistic cinema whereas Bhatt also wanted him to get the essence of mass cinema where subtle performances do not necessarily work with 

When Mahesh Bhatt once asked Irrfan to do 'bad acting'!

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant
Soren on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of Bollywood  actor Irrfan Khan, saying he will always be remembered as an  "extraordinary actor".
In his condolence message, Soren said that he was very  sad to hear about the death of the talented actor.
"He will always be remembered as an extraordinary  actor and his impactful work. My prayers are with his family  and loved ones," Soren tweeted.
Khan, 54, lost his battle with a rare form of cancer  and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday.

Jharkhand CM condoles Irrfan Khan's demise

Lionsgate is moving ahead with the third chapter of its heist series "Now You See Me".
According to Variety, the studio has roped in Eric Warren Singer, the Oscar-nominated scribe of "American Hustle", to pen the script for the threequel.
"Now You See Me", which released in 2013, was directed by Louis Leterrier an featured an ensemble cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mlanie Laurent, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman.
The story is about team of magicians who pull off bank heists and robberies during their performances and reward their audiences with the money, attempting to bring them to justice, while a FBI agent and an Interpol officer are trying to bring them down.
The movie was followed by a 2016 sequel, which also featured Daniel Radcliffe.
The new film has a fresh take from Singer and he will creating new characters, while keeping the door open for the original cast to reprise their parts.
The project will be produced by Bobby ...

Erica Warren Singer to pen 'Now You See Me 3' for Lionsgate

Of the many characters he brought alive with just a lopsided grin or his famously intense gaze, Irrfan Khan's portrayal of athlete-turned-bandit Paan Singh Tomar will always count among his most compelling performances, immortalising a man who was just a footnote in Indian sports till then.
Irrfan breathed his last in Mumbai, gone too soon at 54 after battling a rare cancer that kept him away from public eye ever since the diagnosis in 2018.
In his awe-inspiring body of work lies this 2012 gem of a film that made Tomar a household name a good 31 years after he was shot dead by the police in an encounter which reportedly lasted several hours.
The performance fetched Irrfan a national award and all-round acclaim for the sheer simplicity with which he essayed the role of a "beehad ka baaghi", who started as an ernest Subedar in Army with a talent for running.
Tomar was a seven-time national champion in steeplechase, a 3000m obstacle race which includes water jumps.
He even represented ...

Paan Singh Tomar: How Irrfan made a footnote in Indian sports larger than life

Rashtriya Janata Dal president
Lalu Prasad on Wednesday expressed grief over the untimely  demise of Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan and fondly recalled the  visit by the latter, two decades his junior, to his Patna  residence a few years ago.
The septuagenarian, who is in Ranchi serving sentences  in many fodder scam cases and lodged at a Jharkhand hospital  because of precarious health, offered his condolences on his  official twitter handle, operated by people close to him.
"Saddening (sic) to hear about the demise of one of  the most versatile actors of Indian cinema, Irrfan Khan! Met  with Irrfan when he came calling at Patna residence! A multi-  faceted man, a great human being! My sincere condolences to  his family, friends and fan, Prasad said in his tweet which  ended with the hashtag #RIPIrrfanKhan.
Prasad also shared a selfie clicked by the deceased  actor during their meeting wherein the colourful political  leader can be seen donning a fez cap.
Khan had flown down to Patna in 

Lalu Prasad condoles Irrfan Khan's death, recalls the meeting they had in Patna

Pop star Zayn Malik and his partner, supermodel Gigi Hadid, are expecting their first child together.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Hadid, 25, is 20 weeks pregnant and she kept "secret close to her family and friends for a while".
"Once Gigi and Zayn got back together at the end of last year, it was like they never skipped a beat and knew what they had was special. The couple and their families are overjoyed," a source close to the couple told the outlet.
Last week, Hadid celebrated her 25th birthday with the 27-year-old singer in her family's Pennsylvania farm where they have been quarantining together.
Malik and Hadid first started dating in November 2015. They announced their split in March 2018, but soon after rekindled their romance.
In January 2019, they broke up once again but got back together by the end of the year.

Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid to become parents soon

Jenji Kohan, the creator of Netflix's acclaimed hit "Orange Is the New Black", is returning to the streamer for a timely series titled "Social Distance".
The new project, which borrows its name from the WHO guideline of social distancing, is an attempt to make people "feel closer to one another" in times of the coronavirus pandemic that has caused millions of deaths globally, restricted people to their homes and brought the world to a standstill.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kohan and her "OITNB" team, Tara Herrmann, Blake McCormick and Hilary Weisman Graham, will executive produce the scripted anthology series.
"Our job as storytellers is to reflect reality, and in this new, bizarre, bewildering reality we are all experiencing, we feel passionate about finding connection as we all remain at a distance.
"We've been inspired to create an anthology series that tells stories about the current moment we are living through  the unique, personal, deeply human stories that illustrate 

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