About BOOK
An actor whose eyes narrate a sea of stories. Irrfan Khan is a gentle dreamer with arresting eyes, a towering presence and an illustrious filmography. Most of us know the man only through the characters that he has played: Roohdaar in Haider, Maqbool in the eponymous film, Rana in Piku, Saajan in The Lunchbox, and of course, Ashoke in The Namesake. Today, these characters have made him a recognized name around the world. Irrfan Khan is an intimate and meticulously researched account of this refreshingly unique and unconventional Indian icon. Drawn from personal interviews and told through many voices, Aseem Chhabra traces Irrfan’s personal and artistic life in all its many shades. Rich in detail and peppered with anecdotes, it is a fascinating look at the life and work of the actor that begins in a small household in Rajasthan and culminates in his face gazing down from billboards in Hollywood. It explores some of his greatest performances that have shown India and the world what cinema can do. At the heart of this story, however, is a man, possibly the finest actor of his generation, his passion for the craft of acting and his love for unusual characters.
About Author
ASEEM CHHABRA is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed books, Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star (2016) and Priyanka Chopra: The Incredible Story of a Global Bollywood Star (2018). A film journalist, freelance writer and film festival programmer in New York City, he has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mumbai Mirror, Rediff.com, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Outlook, BBC, Quartz, Scroll and Newslaundry; and has been a commentator on Indian cinema and popular culture on NPR, CNN, BBC, CBC, ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’, Associated Press and Reuters. Aseem is the festival director of the New York Indian Film Festival. He has also programmed Indian, Asian and international film festivals in Bengaluru, Pittsburgh, Malta and Macao. He is the voice of Shadow Puppet #1 in director Nina Paley’s award-winning animated film, Sita Sings the Blues. Aseem is from Delhi, lives in New York and visits India often. He can be followed on Twitter @chhabs.
Naseeruddin Shah remembers some special scenes with Irrfan. Maqbool is responsible for Kaka’s (Piyush Mishra playing the Banquo character) death. When Kaka’s body is brought into the courtyard, his body is uncovered, and Maqbool imagines that his eyes are open. He is startled as if he has seen a ghost.
‘In reaction to that, the way Irrfan fell over backwards, I tried to stop his fall,’ Naseer recalls.
‘And he said, “Kya, Naseer bhai? Kya kar rahe ho (What, Naseer bhai? What are you doing)?” I said, “Tum gir rahe they (You were falling).” And he went, “Nahi, nahi (No, no), I was acting.” And I said, “You are bloody good.”’
Review
Irrfan Khan: the man, the dreamer, the star
An actor whose eyes narrate a sea of stories. Irrfan Khan is a gentle dreamer with arresting eyes, a towering presence, and an illustrious aphy. Most of us know the man only through the characters that he has played:
Roohdaar in Haider, Maqbool in the eponymous film, Rana in Piku, Saajan in The Lunchbox, and of course, Ashoke in The Namesake.
Today, these characters have made him a recognized name around the world. Irrfan Khan is an intimate and meticulously researched account of this refreshingly unique and unconventional Indian icon.
This book is everything you need to know about Irrfan’s life. a well-researched book about life.
From delhi to mumbai.
Then, from Mumbai to flims
Finally to Hollywood
The jounery is worth to read.
How he directed Life of the pie. And everything about it.
I personally loved each detailed topic.
If you are a Bollywood freak then this book is for you.