- Irrfan Khan in The Lunchbox. (courtesy: YouTube)
Everything about Irrfan Khan is as iconic as he was. The actor, who died in April 2020, would have been 56 today. His charm, versatile acting and unique approach to each one of his roles made him a legend in Indian cinema. The National School of Drama alumni was always one step ahead of others when it came to bringing his characters alive onscreen. A part of his impressive work was delivering nail-biting dialogues and Irrfan Khan was always on point. Whether it was a life lesson from The Lunchbox – “Life is very busy these days. There are too many people, and everyone wants what the other has” – or hard-hitting lines from Paan Singh Tomar, the actor always managed to give us goosebumps with his dialogue delivery skill.
On Irrfan Khan's 56th birth anniversary, let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of his best dialogues. Are you ready?
1- Life Of Pi - “I suppose, in the end, the whole life becomes an act of letting go”
Irrfan Khan as the adult version of Pi Patel made this Ang Lee directorial a lot more impressive. When Mr Patel said, “I suppose in the end, the whole life becomes an act of letting go. But what always hurts me most is not taking a moment to say goodbye,” it resonated among the audience on a deeper level.
2- D-Day – “Galtiyan bhi rishton ki tarah hoti hai... karni nahi padti, ho jati hai”
We totally agree on this, Irrfan Khan. He nailed the role of a RAW agent in D-Day alongside Rishi Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Huma Qureshi and others. This is one of Irrfan's all-time favourite dialogues.
3- Life In A Metro - “Ye sheher humein jitna deta hai, badle mein kahin zyada humse le lete hai”
In this Anurag Basu film which reflected the nuance of a metropolitan city in India, Irrfan Khan aced the role of Monty. He brilliantly portrayed the struggles and the hard choices Monty had to make to survive in an urban city.
4- Piku - “Death aur s***.... ye do cheeze kisi ko bhi, kahin bhi, kabhi bhi aa sakti hai”
It was a treat for the audience when Irrfan Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone collaborated on Shoojit Sircar's 2015 film. Irrfan Khan's epic, as well as heartwarming dialogues, made this family comedy-drama chicken soup for the soul.
5- Angrezi Medium – “Aadmi ka sapna toot jata hai na, toh aadmi khatam ho jata hai”
One of Irrfan Khan's last films, Angrezi Medium, gave us the gift of this thought-provoking statement. The actor delivers this dialogue as Champak Bansal, who does everything beyond his power to fulfil his daughter's dream of studying abroad.
6. The Namesake – “Pack a pillow and blanket and see as much of the world you can. You will not regret it. One day, it will be too late”
Irrfan Khan delivered a critically acclaimed performance alongside Tabu in this Mira Nair directorial. The actor and Tabu's ingenious acts as a Bengali couple who to New York from Calcutta while trying to adapt to the new lifestyle without forgetting the old one won the hearts of the audience.
7.The Lunchbox – “Life is very busy these days. there are too many people, and everyone wants what the other has”
The story of The Lunchbox is as heartwarming as it gets. Irrfan Khan as Saajan, a lonely man on the verge of retirement, and Nimrat Kaur as Ila Singh, a neglected housewife, weave a beautiful story in the 2014 film by Ritesh Batra.
8.Paan Singh Tomar – “Janta ki raksha ki naukri hai tumhari....Chita pe roti sekne ki naahi"
Not many would disagree that Paan Singh Tomar is one of the most iconic films of Irrfan Khan. He played the titular role and impressively showed what turned an army man into a rebel.
However, this isn't an extensive list by any means. Irrfan Khan mesmerised us with his amazing acting skills for many years. His last film, The Song Of Scorpions, was released almost a year after his death.