Biography

The man with unconventional looks which does not fit into the typical hero types, Irrfan Khan is one of the most talented and versatile actors of the Indian film industry. The dark horse who is famous for the perfect portrayal of roles has come a long way. Irrfan is a receiver of the Filmfare awards for the two times. He was born on 7th January 1967 in Jaipur, Rajasthan in a Muslim family. His full name is Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan. Irrfan's mother was from Tonk Hakim family and his father late Jagirdar was from Khajuriya village near Tonk district. His father used to run a business of Tyres. He has two brothers, Imran and Salman. His sister's name is Rukhsana Begum. When Irrfan was studying M.A. in 1984, he got a scholarship to study at the National School Of Drama in New Delhi.

After completing his training at NSD, Irrfan shifted to Mumbai and started appearing in Television serials. He was seen in the TV serials like Bharat Ek Khoj, Chanakya, Banegi Apni Baat, Sara Jahan Hamara and Chandrakanta. He was also appeared in the episodes of Star Bestsellers and Bhanwar.

Irrfan was involved in conducting the acting workshops for children who were working with Mira Nair in her flick 'Salaam Bombay'. He thus got a chance to do a short cameo appearance in that film in 1988. After that, Irrfan did some films like 'Ek Doctor Ki Maut' and 'Such A Long Journey' in 1998, where both the film went unnoticed but 'Ek Doctor Ki Maut' was critically acclaimed. His some next films could not help his acting career. He appeared in many unsuccessful films.

Irrfan's career got a 360 degree turn when Asif Kapadia, a London based director offered him a lead role in his flick 'The Warrior'. The film was a historical flick which was completed in just 11 weeks. It was released in 2011 in international film festivals. The film made Irrfan famous and a known face. In 2003-04, he acted in Ashvin Kumar's short film 'Road To Ladakh' which received rave reviews. The film is now being made as a full fledged Hindi movie starring Irrfan in a lead role. In 2003-04 he was again seen in 'Maqbool' , the film which was based on Shakespeare's Macbeth. It got a lot of critical appreciation for its subject.

Irrfan for the first time appeared as a lead actor in the film 'Rog' in 2005. His performance was praised by one and all. The critics said that 'Irrfan's eyes speak louder than his words'. After that he appeared in many films either as a main lead or as a supporting character or as a villain. He won the Filmfare's best villain award for his performance in 'Haasil' in 2004.

In 2007, he was seen opposite Konkona Sen Sharma in 'Life in a Metro'. Their chemistry in the film was amazing and Irrfan won the Filmfare's Best Supporting Actor Award for the same. Later he appeared in 'The Namesake'. After that, Irrfan was also seen in 'Aaja Nachle' and 'Krazzy 4'. The talented actor played a key role in Danny Boyle's Oscar Award winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2008. He was also seen in other international projects like 'The Darjeeling Limited' and 'A Mighty Heart'.

Irrfan in the mean time anchored television shows like Mano Ya Na Mano and Kya Kahein. In 2008, he was featured as a narrator in 'Id- Identity Of The Soul' , an Arts Alliance Production. Irrfan who wishes to work in the action flicks, was seen in 'Acid Factory' in 2009. He was also seen as an FBI agent in 'New York' and in an American rom com 'New York, I Love You'.

Irrfan was lately seen portraying a real life Rajput runner in 'Paan Singh Tomar'. Irrfan's mesmerizing performance was appreciated by one and all. He got several awards and nominations for the same. Irrfan recently received the National award for 'Paan Singh Tomar'. He has also appeared in movies like 'Dil Kabaddi' ,'Mumbai Meri Jaan' ,'Billu Barber', 'Right Yaaa Wrong' , 'Hisss' ,'Knock Out' ,'Yeh Saali Zindagi' ,'7 Khoon Maaf' ,'Thank You', 'Life of Pi' and 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns' etc.

He recently was seen as Dr, Rajit Ratha in a Hollywood flick 'The Amazing Spider-Man' in 2012. He has also worked on the third season of the HBO series 'In Treatment'.

The talented actor who got a Padma Shri award in 2011, is married to writer Sutapa Sikdar. Sutapa is also an NSD graduate. The couple has two kids Babil and Aryan.

The talented actor is still in pursuit of unique and different roles . Irrfan is keen on giving the perfect and heart touching performance in his every film.