Stamattina la stampa indiana ha diffuso la notizia del decesso di Irrfan Khan. In un lampo, e per tutto il giorno, la rete è stata inondata da un flusso continuo di messaggi di cordoglio, condivisi da celebrità e persone comuni. Non mi sento di commentare questo tristissimo, tristissimo evento. Mi limito ad offrirvi di seguito una selezione dei tributi più significativi.
* Aamir Khan: Very sad to hear about our dear colleague Irrfan. How tragic and sad. Such a wonderful talent. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Thank you Irrfan for all the joy you have brought to our lives through your work. You will be fondly remembered. Love.
* Adil Hussain: Never knew that his death would make me so very sad. Felt like a punch in my heart. We only met a few times. It was his portrayals of roles which gave me a window to his vulnerability and beauty that he possessed. Deep empathy he evoked in me. Please rest well Irrfan. Deep love. The extraordinary abilities, of Irrfan Khan to allow his being to embody the roles he played, are the reasons audiences could peek into the secret chambers of the characters. Those windows to the soul of another are the greatest gifts of an actor to the society.
* Aishwarya Rai: Heartbreaking news. So saddened to hear about the demise of my dear friend Irrfan. The brightest, most genuine, humble, kind and eventually bravest soul. May he rest in peace. God bless. Much love and strength to Sutapa, Babil, Ayan and his loved ones at this very difficult time.
* Ajay Devgan: Heartbroken to hear about Irrfan’s untimely demise. It’s an irreparable loss for Indian cinema. Deepest condolences to his wife and sons. RIP Irrfan.
* Akshay Kumar: Such terrible news. Saddened to hear about the demise of #IrrfanKhan, one of the finest actors of our time. May God give strength to his family in this difficult time.
* Allu Arjun: One of the finest actor in Indian cinema. An actor who made his presence felt in a unique way. His performances had a universal appeal which made him an international Indian actor. The artist has left, but his art will be remembered for generations to come. RIP #IrrfanKhan.
* Amitabh Bachchan: Just getting news of the passing of Irrfan Khan. This is a most disturbing and sad news. 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.
* Anil Kapoor: Indescribably saddened to hear that we've lost Irrfan Khan. I'll always be thankful to him for taking care of Sonam when they worked together and for being her guiding light at the time. He was an inspiration for everyone, a remarkable actor, unmatched talent and a great human being.
* Anupam Kher: Nothing can be more heartbreaking and tragic than the news of passing away of a dear friend, one of the finest actors and a wonderful human being #IrrfanKhan. Saddest day!! May his soul rest in peace. #OmShanti.
* Anushka Sharma: With a heavy heart I post this tweet. A phenomenal actor, such an inspiration his performances have been for me. He battled for his life but sadly leaves us today. RIP Irrfan Khan. Om Shanti.
* Arshad Warsi: I just can’t believe Irrfan is no more. Industry has lost a great actor and I have lost a dear friend. RIP Irrfan. Khuda Hafiz.
* Chiranjeevi: Saddened to hear the terrible news of Irrfan Khan's passing away. An amazing actor who got global recognition. He can never be replaced. His intensity and charming demeanour will remain imprinted in our hearts. Dear Irrfan, we will miss you and you’ll be remembered forever.
* Deepa Mehta: Devastated by the news of @Irrfankhan. An actor who dazzled, broke your heart, who spoke with his eyes and that wonderful wry smile. Truly one of the greats. His work in Maqbool, Haider, Namesake and Tomar was exceptional - In retrospect a legend never dies.
* Dhanush: Heartbroken by the news, what a great talent and a wonderful human being we have lost. I will always remember his kind words to me. There is a better place and I know he is there. My deepest condolences to his family and dear ones. May his soul rest in peace.
* Emraan Hashmi: The first shot that I witnessed as an assistant director was of Irrfan Khan. Calm, poised and so naturalistic, unlike anything I had seen before. A casual intensity that no other actor could pull off. Thank you Irrfan for inspiring us. You will live on in our hearts forever.
* Farhan Akhtar: #IrrfanKhan was truly a one of a kind actor and the magic he brought to the screen will be sorely missed. RIP. #gonetosoon.
* Hrithik Roshan: I had not more than a couple of conversations with you Irrfan but I have a tear in my eye as I type this. You were a rare human being. I will miss you. Thank you for showing me what being authentic truly means. RIP.
* Kabir Bedi: Deeply saddened to hear of Irrfan Khan’s passing. He was a consummate actor whose sincerity illuminated every role he played. India, and all his fans around the world, will miss him greatly. He will always be remembered with affection and admiration.
* Kamal Haasan: Too soon to leave @irrfank Ji. Your work always left me in awe. You’re one of the finest actors I know, I wish you stayed longer. You deserved more time. Strength to the family at this time.
* Karan Johar: Thank you for those indelible movie memories. Thank you for raising the bar as an artist. Thank you for enriching our cinema. We will miss you terribly Irrfan but will always always be immensely grateful for your presence in our lives, our cinema. We salute you.
* Mahesh Babu: Deeply saddened by the news of #IrrfanKhan's untimely demise. A brilliant actor gone too soon. He will be truly missed. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP.
* Mammootty: A sad and huge loss to our film fraternity. A great and natural actor who was loved by audiences across the world. I had the pleasure of sharing a stage with him for an event and I remember the conversations and warmth we shared. RIP Irrfan.
* Nawazuddin Siddiqui: In the year 2000 a film directed by #IrrfanKhan named Alvida starred me and I was lucky to have my mentor as my co-star in many films. No one will ever be able to fill his space in the entire world of cinema. Never thought in the worst of my dreams, that will have to say “alvida” so soon. RIP #IrrfanKhan.
* Prosenjit Chatterjee: #IrrfanKhan my friend it’s too early for you. You were, you are and will be one of the finest actor in Indian Cinema. In this difficult time also the last movie I watched was your Angrezi Medium. And again I was amused by seeing your performance. Stay well my friend wherever you are.
* Prithviraj: Rest in peace #IrrfanKhan. There is so much more you had to give. So much more you could do for Indian cinema. You’ll be missed.
* Priyanka Chopra: The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family.
* R. Madhavan: This is such a tragedy and heart. RIP Irrfan sir. The industry has lost an exceptional artist and human. You will be so so missed. Spread the happiness in heaven.
* Rajkummar Rao: Today is a huge loss for the industry, our country and for artists all over the world. Irrfan sir was one of the finest actors of Indian cinema and I will always cherish all the times I spent with him, listening to him and learning from his conversations of art, life and so much more. I pray his family finds the love and strength needed to forge ahead. Irrfan sir, we will miss you.
* Ram Charan: The world of cinema has lost a crowned jewel. One of the most exceptional actors and the film industry will definitely miss the legend. May your soul rest in peace, Irrfan Khan ji.
* Randeep Hooda: Gone too soon is the inspiration and the entertainment #IrrfanKhan a great loss to cinema and the craft. May you rest in peace brother.
* Salman Khan: Big loss to the film industry, his fans, all of us and specially his family. My heart goes out to his family. May God give them strength. Rest in peace brother. You shall always be missed and be in all our hearts.
* Shah Rukh Khan: My friend, inspiration and the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai. Will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives.
* Shahid Kapoor: It’s so sad to hear about #IrrfanKhan passing away. I have learned so much from him as an actor just by sharing screen space with him. A truly gifted actor. And a wonderful man. He really has #GoneTooSoon. I’m sure the heavens have saved a special place for him.
* Shekhar Kapur: An actor that every director wanted to work with. A human being that gave his best in every role. Indian film’s most succesful export to Hollywood. A man loved by all. Sad to see #IrrfanKhan leave us, after what we thought was succesful fight against cancer. God bless you Irrfan.
* Sudhir Mishra: Our Irrfan has gone! Actor, (for me a co-writer), humanist, secular and spiritual. A man in search of beauty, meaning and a connection with the universe. He was brutally honest, yet very kind. And that smile, how I’ll miss that smile!
* Vidya Balan: I didn’t know you well but I can’t stop crying today because your performances affected me in a very personal way. I guess that's your magic and that will always remain. Take care #IrrfanKhan. My heart breaks at the thought of your family but I pray for Sutapa and your boys.
* Presidente dell'Unione Indiana: Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Irrfan Khan. A rare talent and a brilliant actor, his diverse roles and remarkable performances will remain etched in our memories. A big loss to the world of cinema and millions of film lovers. Condolences to his family and admirers.
* Narendra Modi: Irrfan Khan’s demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.
* Rahul Gandhi: I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. A versatile and talented actor, he was a popular Indian brand ambassador on the global film and tv stage. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends and fans at this time of grief.
* Amitav Ghosh: RIP Irrfan Khan. One of the greatest actors of his generation. Tragic that we have lost him so young. Still remember that he had wanted to play Fokir, in 'The Hungry Tide'.
* The Academy: A mainstay of Bollywood cinema and incredible talent in films like “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Life of Pi” and “The Namesake”, Irrfan Khan left his imprint on global cinema. An inspiration to millions, he will be greatly missed.
* Chris Pratt: 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.
* Paulo Coelho: A star joins other stars in the sky. Thank you for everything, Irrfan Khan.
RASSEGNA STAMPA (aggiornata al 10 maggio 2020)
- India's greatest acting export no more, Mayank Shekhar, Mid-Day, 29 aprile 2020:
'For all the worthy local tributes pouring in for an untimely demise, fact is, if it wasn't for the West, the Hindi film industry wouldn't have known where to place Irrfan Khan. While Mira Nair's The Namesake (2006) introduced Irrfan to the art-house West, (...) there was a 2012 profile of his in The New York Times (by Kathryn Shattuck) that, he reckoned, alerted many in the Hollywood establishment to the person behind the roles he'd done thus far. (...) Titled 'Bollywood Hero, American Everyman', the NYT piece went on to ask, "Could Mr Khan become the first Indian to capture the lead in a mainstream American movie?" It began with Irrfan himself declaiming, "Hollywood isn't ready for an Indian leading man." And Ang Lee later agreeing, while arguing, "But maybe he can do it for us [Asians]. He's definitely rare and very special." (...)
The fact is, up until Irrfan had spent over a decade and half in Bombay, after graduating from National School of Drama (NSD), doing grunt-work on television, (...) starting from late '80s, all through the '90s, let alone Hollywood, even Indian cinema wasn't ready for him as an Indian leading man! That real deal happened only with the British filmmaker Asif Kapadia casting Irrfan in and as The Warrior (2001), in a slow, quiet, Himalayan Western, if you may, with his haunting eyes adding to the striking visuals. (...) Irrfan finally captured desi imagination with his inimitably insouciant, proper desi-cool turn as the rustic college goon in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Haasil (2003). A lot of local filmmakers, he said, could place him as the new villain in town. He refused a few such roles, only to mesmerise audiences even more as the obsessed lover in Vishal Bhardwaj's magical Maqbool (2004) - unreservedly a masterpiece that Bhardwaj found hard to match, leave aside with Irrfan (though Haider and 7 Khoon Maaf with the actor were decent attempts).
Thus, a star was proverbially born. Although he'd been around in Bombay all along. (...) He never held back on what he felt or thought, about people and pictures. (...) That's how Irrfan was, even in public - charmingly candid, but meaning no malice whatsoever, of course. Despite much that he'd been through. To be fair, just casually scan the timeline for when he moved to Bombay. This was the fallow phase when 'parallel cinema' that had inspired him to become a film actor in the first place, had altogether been phased out. Many of the filmmakers had moved to television. Irrfan got to do the historical docu-drama Bharat Ek Khoj (1988) with Shyam Benegal. He found a chance to work with Govind Nihalani in Drishti (1990) or Basu Chatterjee in Kamla Ki Maut (1989), in the evening of their careers. The mainstream space almost wholly consisted of action stars, and thereafter, what he called "chocolate boys". Irrfan was neither. The key issue with him as a young aspirant, he said, was to imagine who he could be like. Until Naseeruddin Shah, from the generation before him, he confessed, metaphorically showed him the way - first from Jaipur where he grew up, to NSD, in Delhi. (...)
For all the years he was altogether bored of bulk-acting on TV in Bombay, what Irrfan found the hardest to do was keep the inspiration alive - even while he found none of it in his work. He found most of it in watching films, right from the time he bought a video-player with his first salary in the city. No actor I know from his generation was as well-versed with world cinema as Irrfan. One of his dreams was to be in the same frame as the French hero Gerard Depardieu. Can't thank him enough for introducing me to the Turkish-German star-director Fatih Akin, much before Akin became a thing. Or filmmaker Michael Winterbottom, who Irrfan, of course, worked with in A Mighty Heart (2007). It is said Wes Anderson specifically pencilled in a part for him in The Darjeeling Limited (2007). (...)
Perhaps exposure of this sort could also frustrate an actor, in contrast to the eco-system that surrounds him. Irrfan spoke quite often about having decided to quit acting altogether in his early years, since television was all he was doing, and the sort of movies he wished for weren't going to materialise anyway. This is the phase, he said, he actively worked on his craft, since he had nothing to lose. And much less to hope for. To keep himself busy, he said, he toyed with ways to gently seduce the camera, besides attempting to "live in the moment". This became perhaps what critics/reviewers might over-use the word "nuance" to explain many of his performances that highlighted most of all, minimal face-acting - least amount of gestures that also kept space for dramatic revelations, when you least expected them. He was the finest film practitioner of 'less is more' - hitting its highest note perhaps with Dhulia's Paan Singh Tomar (2011) that, despite a fair festival run, remained in the can for the longest, before finding theatrical release to top Bollywood awards that year. More specifically, he could hold a moment. Also there was something infectious about his performances. (...) That's what earned him most respect from peers and public alike. (...)
There was still something naturally royal about Irrfan's presence, both off but, more so, on the screen. This was a handicap, at least according to one filmmaker critic of his I know. He was incapable of coming across as "low-status", even in roles that demanded so. This is where Nawazuddin Siddiqui held an advantage, apparently. There was minor tattle going on about a rivalry of sorts between fellow NSD alumnus Nawaz, 45, and Irrfan, 53. Much of it had to do with the phenomenal success of Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox (2013), arguably the greatest Indian success abroad, that both starred in. The fact is, Nawaz could never do what Irrfan could, and vice versa. As is true for all unique talents. That royal demeanour no doubt would've helped Irrfan bag the role of Mesrani (probably named after Ambani), the Indian-origin richest man, who's the main villain in the gigantic Jurassic Park franchise film, Jurassic World (2015). His last major outing in Hollywood was with Tom Hanks in Inferno (2016). (...) Just look at that line-up abroad, even while he'd confound producers back home picking up a hardcore art-house film like Qissa (2013), although scoring huge in the box-office with the comedy, Hindi Medium (2017).
Irrfan had been ailing since 2018, diagnosed with a rare, neuro-endocrine cancer. He was never seen in public thereafter. He made sure of that - nothing to mess with our memories of him. The common adage '50 is the new 40' (in line with people in other decades) couldn't have been more aptly applied than with Irrfan. He was at the cusp of something bigger, having kick-started his career with definitive, defining roles, only in his mid 30s! At 20, he told me, he had trained all the actors of Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay (1988), but failed to star as one of the boys in it, because he was too tall to fit into the frame with them. He lived and learnt a lot about life from those street kids.
The Irrfan I knew came across as a deeply sensitive man. The ongoing wave of Islamophobia bothered him no end. He had dropped Khan from his name. Unsure if being racially profiled twice at American airports had anything to do with it. He also had a strong dislike for traditional stardom-led ways of Bollywood. (...) But he also had a playful, roving-eye, happy-high side, behind that gambheer/serious exterior. (...) Some of the fun part of Irrfan's personality you find organically channelled into madcap entertainers like Dil Kabaddi (2008) or Karwaan (2018). (...) Better still, you could catch the totally terrible Thank You (2011), that he certainly did for the bread, butter, or more likely, cheese. Outside the preview screening of one of these flicks, he came up to say I must've got "jaded" watching so many movies. Yeah, right!
If it wasn't for Rajesh Khanna, could Irrfan have carried on as an AC repair mechanic? That's what he had visited the superstar's Carter Road bungalow as, much before he had thought of becoming an actor, or formally moved to Bombay. Irrfan had trained to fix appliances. His father was in the business of selling tyres. That visit as an AC-repair guy to Khanna's residence, he recalled in an interview, somehow ignited in Irrfan the belief that he simply couldn't work for the money. He needed something more to keep him engaged'.
- Like all great actors, he did not need a great movie to be great in, Baradwaj Rangan, Film Companion, 29 aprile 2020
- The everythingship of Irrfan Khan, Rahul Desai, Film Companion, 30 aprile 2020: 'Irrfan Khan is no more. A brilliant career has been cut short. It’s a cultural tragedy. Not only has the future been robbed of talent, talent has also been robbed of a future. (...) I never realized that when I watched him on screen, I automatically expected more from every aspect - the other actors, the direction, the composition, the production value, the sound - of his frame. I never realized that every time I was disappointed with a film or another actor, it was because they were being measured on a mental scale of 1 to Irrfan in my head. I never realized that the cacophony of masala cinema started to seem futile because Irrfan’s lilting voice had begun to turn every piece of dialogue into the poetry of verbal reaction. (...) I never realized that he made me want to be more than “blown away” by a story. I never realized that Irrfan Khan had moulded my relationship with modern Hindi cinema... by simply being more'.
- Thank you for the movies, Irrfan, Raja Sen, Mumbai Mirror, 3 maggio 2020
- Irrfan and I: Vishal Bhardwaj pens screenplay on his bond with Irrfan, Anshul Chaturvedi, The Times of India, 10 maggio 2020
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