Irrfan Khan death anniversary: Some lesser-known facts about the ‘Life of Pi’ actor

One of India’s finest actors, Irrfan Khan, passed away on April 29 last year. The late actor was known for being multi-talented and died after suffering from neuroendocrine tumour. He was not only a good actor but a great family man. Coming from Rajasthan, where his father ran a tyre business, he stunned the world of cinema with his breathtaking acting. 

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The actor was known for his roles in movies like ‘Piku’, ‘Inferno’, ‘Life of Pi’ and ‘The Lunchbox’. He was known for working in movies that would sway away people’s mindset from the normal. But, there are many facts that fans don’t know about the ‘Hindi Medium’ actor.

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Here are some surprising facts that are lesser known about the legendary actor:

– Irrfan belonged to a non-film industry family. His father ran a business and always wanted Khan to join him but the actor before joining the film world was interested in having a career as a cricketer.

– The ‘Piku’ actor was from Tonk, a village near Rajasthan’s capital city Jaipur. He was from a family of zamindars and also had connections with the royal family in Rajasthan. 

– He joined the world of movies after receiving a scholarship from the National School of Drama.

– The original name of the actor was Sahabzade Irfan Khan, but as people prefer short names in the film industry, he changed it to Irrfan Khan, with an extra ‘r’ added to his name. 

– In several interviews and conversations, the actor revealed that even though he was from a family of ‘Pathans’, it never made meat and non-vegetarian food fascinating or appealing for him.

– Known for his role in the movie ‘Life of Pi’, the actor was also given a chance to play a major role in the legendary movie ‘Interstellar’, but he refused to accept it due to his prior commitment for movies like ‘D-Day’ and ‘The Lunchbox’.