Hollywood Pays Tribute to Irrfan Khan

2:28 AM PDT 4/29/2020 by Georg Szalai , Katherine Schaffstall

Priyanka Chopra and 'Jurassic World' director Colin Trevorrow are among those to honor the Indian actor, who died Wednesday at the age of 53.

Following the death of Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire star Irrfan Khan at the age of 53, Hollywood on Wednesday paid tribute to the actor whose career spanned everything from art house cinema to mainstream Bollywood and Hollywood.

Ang Lee, who worked with Khan on Life of Pi, said in a statement: "Irrfan was a great artist, a true gentleman and a brave fighter. His passing away is cinema’s loss. We will miss him dearly. May you Rest In Peace my dear friend."

Khan's Jurassic World co-star Chris Pratt tweeted that he was "sad to hear about the passing of screen legend" adding that Khan "was an exquisite actor and human. He will be missed." 

Marc Webb, who directed Khan in The Amazing Spider-Man, said in a statement: "Irrfan made it clear that power and gentleness could co-exist in a perfect balance. When he sings that song to his new wife at the bathroom door in The Namesake, it speaks of his father in Life of Pi you are witnessing the magic of a magnificent talent. He may have been the most nuanced actor I have ever worked with and I will always be his dedicated fan. My thoughts and whole heart are with his loved ones."

"The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic," tweeted Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who starred with Khan in 2011's dark comedy 7 Khoon Maaf (Seven Sins Forgiven) from director Vishal Bhardwaj. "You inspired so many of us."

Riz Ahmed (The Night Of, Rogue One) on Twitter shared that Khan was one of his heroes, calling him "one of the greatest actors of our time." 

Colin Trevorrow, who directed the Indian star when he played the owner of Jurassic World in the 2015 movie of the same name, in a tweet called Khan "a thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him."

The British Film Institute also commented on the news of his death, writing on its Twitter account: "We're deeply saddened to hear that Bollywood legend Irrfan Khan has passed away."

The Toronto International Film Festival account also paid tribute to Khan. "Today, we remember the charismatic and incomparable Irrfan Khan," they wrote.

Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna also took to Twitter in Khan's memory. "This is not fair at all," she wrote about the actor's death.

Sony Pictures India remembered the actor on Twitter by sharing a montage showcasing his acting roles.

Also on Twitter, Mindy Kaling said that Khan was her "favorite actor," adding, "I can't think of someone who gave such layered and thoughtful performances but was also a movie star; you couldn't take your eyes off of him onscreen. Love and peace to his family," she wrote. The actress also shared a quote that Tom Hanks previously said in an interview about Khan. 

Shoojit Sircar, who directed Khan in the 2015 movie Piku, called the late actor his "dear friend." He tweeted, "You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you… we shall meet again."

Khan's Life of Pi co-star Adil Hussain said the news "felt like a punch in my heart." He added, "The extraordinary abilities, of Irrfan Khan to allow his being to embody the roles he played, are the reasons audiences could peek into the secret chambers of the Characters. Those windows to the soul of another are the greatest Gifts of an actor to the society."

Director Ava DuVernay tweeted that Khan was "gone too soon." She wrote, "When he is on screen, you can't take your eyes off of him."

The Film Academy also remembered Khan on Twitter. "Irrfan Khan left his imprint on global cinema," the account posted. "An inspiration to millions, he will be greatly missed."

Actor Gabriel Macht took to Twitter to remember Khan as "one of the most pleasant, down to earth and gentle beings in the few times I had with him."

Meanwhile, actress Lesley-Ann Brandt called Kahn "a beautiful artist." She wrote, "His eyes, I always got lost in them. On screen they told so many stories."

Lilly Singh shared a photo of the late actor in a tribute post on Twitter. "An extraordinary actor with limitless talent," the NBC late night host captioned the post. "You were and will continue to be magic and an inspiration to myself and so many others."

Gabriel Byrne, who appeared in the HBO series In Treatment with Khan, said in a statement: “This is very, very sad news. Irrfan Khan was one of our greatest actors. I really loved the experience of working with him and would forget my lines because I got so caught up in what he was saying. If you want to show someone what is the ineffable power of acting, show them a clip of Irrfan. It was truly a privilege to work so intimately with him.”