Irrfan’s Top 10 Movies, According To IMDb

It is without question that Irrfan Khan improved these ten films with his acting abilities, making them the best in his filmography.

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Irrfan Khan was one of those rare gifted actors who could appear in just one scene in an entire film but still leave an indelible mark of his presence. Before his untimely passing in April 2020, Irrfan had appeared in a wide variety of films, across different languages and genres, and had won the hearts not only of his fans but of actors and directors around the world.

Irrfan started out with smaller roles in television shows and had even bagged a role in Mira Nair’s classic Salaam Bombay (1988) in his early days, which had to be edited out later on. However, his perseverance soon got him more prominent roles in Hindi films and he has been one of the few actors who crossed over to Hollywood with some brilliant films, putting India on the map as far as Hollywood was concerned.

10 The Namesake (7.5)

Based on the Pulitzer winning novel by the author Jhumpa Lahiri, Mira Nair’s The Namesake was a film where Irrfan’s understated performance melted hearts.

Irrfan played Ashoke Ganguli, the quiet, devoted father to Gogol (Kal Penn), a young man growing up in America who takes his father’s love for granted until the latter dies suddenly. Irrfan imbues the character with tenderness leaving one with a sense of longing and loss.

9 Piku (7.6)

Here Irrfan appears as a charming cab company owner who finds himself driving a spirited young woman and her hypochondriac father, who decide to take a road trip from Delhi to Kolkata on a whim.

The film marked one of Irrfan’s most beloved roles where he held his own effortlessly opposite some of commercial Hindi film’s most popular faces.

8 The Lunchbox (7.8)

One of Irrfan’s most memorable films, The Lunchbox was one of those understated gems that could leave one with a knawing sense of loneliness.

Irrfan played Fernandez, a taciturn middle-aged widower who establishes an unlikely bond with a lonely middle-class wife, Ila. The actor gave one of his career-best performances in this critically acclaimed film.

7 Hindi Medium (7.8)

In a rather different avatar from his usual repertoire of serious roles, Irrfan played a middle-class man struggling to take his place in a more pretentious, upper-class society in New Delhi, at the same time trying to get his daughter admitted into a posh school with English as the medium of instruction.

A commentary on social classes layered with generous dollops of humor, Irrfan delivered a power-packed performance with his usual spontaneity.

6 Life Of Pi (7.9)

Irrfan played the role of the adult Pi in Ang Lee’s critically acclaimed film, based on the novel by Yann Martel. Once again he imbued the character with a subtle sensitivity that won hearts instantly.

The movie went on to win several Oscars including the best picture and director and is easily one of Irrfan’s most well-known films worldwide.

5 Slumdog Millionaire (8.0)

Danny Boyle’s multiple Oscar-winning film brought the entire world’s attention to the Indian subcontinent. The film narrated the story of a young lad in the slums of Dharavi, Mumbai, and his journey to win the Indian version of the popular show, ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’

Irrfan played the role of a police inspector convinced that the slumdog Jamal (Dev Patel) had cheated while answering the questions during the game. This role is unlike some of his more subtle characterizations, but Irrfan played it with conviction. This was also one of the first films that catapulted him into international fame although he had worked in several international projects before this.

4 Maqbool (8.1)

Casting Irrfan as the lead actor in his adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ was a stroke of genius on the part of the National Award-winning film director, Vishal Bharadwaj.

Irrfan brought a nuanced sensitivity to the role of the henchman-turned-criminal-overlord in this brilliant transposition of the literary classic into Mumbai’s dark underbelly. The role won him numerous accolades and shot him into the limelight as one of the most promising actors in the industry.

3 Haider (8.1)

Next of IMDb’s list is Haider, another of Vishal Bharadwaj’s Shakespearean adaptations, this time of ‘Hamlet’.

The Prince of Denmark is transported to the snow-kissed valley of Kashmir in this somber adaptation of one of the Bard’s most renowned tragedies. Irrfan makes a special appearance in the film, as Roohdar, ‘rooh’ meaning spirit’, a play on the ghost of Hamlet’s father, who informs Haider of the foul play involved in his father’s death and plants the seeds of revenge in this highly volatile young lad’s mind.

2 Paan Singh Tomar (8.2)

This biopic of a national-steeplechase-champion-turned-dacoit won Irrfan kudos from far and wide and even won him the National Award for Best Actor in 2012.

Irrfan brought to life the half-forgotten sports hero who formed his own band of dacoits and became infamous in the stark Chambal valley in central India. The actor essayed the character with a powerful vulnerability, never going over-the-top but always managing to tug at the audience’s heart.

1 Talvar (8.2)

A cleverly crafted crime drama based on a true incident, Talvar narrated the tale of an investigating officer who entered the scene to reconstruct and investigate a crime where evidence had already been tampered with by the incompetent first investigating officers on the case.

Irrfan’s scintillating presence elevates an otherwise dark narrative into an intriguing cat and mouse game, with various conflicting theories about the crime and layers of murky work politics at play.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/irrfan-khan-movies-best-imdb/