I'm surprised at how upset it made me to learn this morning that Irrfan Khan died. He was hands-down one of my favorite Indian actors, with a nuance and subtlety which gave every performance depth. I tended to forget that he'd been in Western movies like Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire although the admiring obituaries ranging from CNN to The Guardian to Deadline Hollywood reminded me that in many ways he was the face of India in Hollywood. What defined his skill for us were Indian movies like The Lunchbox, Haider, and Piku.
Tom also felt it more deeply than he expected and, talking it over, we realized that Irrfan was so natural seeming that you felt as if you connected with him personally in many of his roles. So it is as if we have lost a friend instead of a star. I imagine that many in India feel that and more right now.
I am glad that we so recently watched Billu, which I reviewed yesterday. It was a nice last look at Irrfan Khan while he was alive.
Grant to Irrfan eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
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