'Nation lost one of its finest film artists': Vice President on Irrfan Khan's demise

In an unfortunate incident on Wednesday, notable Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passed away at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai after suffering from colon infection. Several Bollywood actors, political leaders and sportsperson mourned the death of the celebrated actor. Vice President Venkiah Naidu also paid his tribute to Khan, as he remarked that the nation has lost one of its finest film artists.

Taking to Twitter, the Vice President stated, "Known for his versatility, Irrfan left an indelible mark on Indian Cinema."

Naidu also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of the Padma Shri awardee actor. The actor was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and had been treated in the UK. He had returned to India last year.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his anguish over the sudden demise of actor Irrfan Khan on Wednesday. Taking to Twitter, he said Irrfan was a versatile actor whose art had earned global fame and recognition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences on the death of the actor. He said that his sudden demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said that he will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. 

Irrfan's illustrious career

Irrfan was felicitated with awards like National Award for his film Paan Singh Tomar and the government had recognised his work by honouring him with the Padma Shri in 2008.  He had made his debut with Mira Nair’s Academy-nominated Salaam Bombay in 1988. Some of his other acclaimed works include Haasil, Maqbool The Namesake, The Lunchbox, Talwar, Piku and Hindi Medium.

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Irrfan also was one of the few India names to features in numerous Hollywood films like Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Life of Pi, The Namesake and Inferno. Irrfan’s last film was Angrezi Medium that released on March 13. While the film got affected at the box office due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital streaming of the movie fetched the actor unanimous praise.

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