india

Updated: Apr 29, 2020 15:17 IST

President Ram Nath Kovind has expressed sadness over the death of actor Irrfan Khan. He said that Khan’s demise is a big loss to cinema.

“Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Irrfan Khan. A rare talent and a brilliant actor, his diverse roles and remarkable performances will remain etched in our memories. A big loss to the world of cinema and millions of film lovers. Condolences to his family & admirers,” a tweet from Ratrapati Bhavan said.

Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Irrfan Khan. A rare talent and a brilliant actor, his diverse roles and remarkable performances will remain etched in our memories. A big loss to the world of cinema and millions of film lovers. Condolences to his family & admirers. — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) April 29, 2020

Khan died on Wednesday after being admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection.

The death, after a prolonged battle with cancer, was confirmed by a spokesman who said Khan was surrounded by family at the time.

“He fought the many battles that came with it,” the spokesman said in a statement, referring to the diagnosis of Khan’s rare cancer in 2018.

Irrfan Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in Western cinema, following in the footsteps of crossover pioneers such as Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth and Om Puri.

Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan in the western desert state of Rajasthan, in a family with no ties to cinema, the actor recalled in interviews that as children, he and his siblings were not allowed to watch movies.

The only exception was when a visiting uncle took them to the theatre.

Khan made his screen debut in the Academy Award-nominated 1988 drama “Salaam Bombay!,” a tale of Mumbai’s street children. He later worked with directors Mira Nair, Wes Anderson and Ang Lee.

Khan in 2018 was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer and underwent months of treatment in the United Kingdom.