47 Quotes of Irrfan Khan, an Actor of Extraordinaire

Like many people all around the world, I am also deeply moved as well by the sudden demise of the legendary actor, an extraordinaire, the one and only, Irrfan Khan!

Let me tell you, there might be some poignant parts inside me due to this unprecedented episode of his indispensable life, but I do feel a bit of contentment for the lessons he has left for me, for you and for each one of us!

 

1. “I can recite poetry, but I cannot write it.” – Irrfan

2. “I am not ready to fit into the mould of commercial cinema” – Irrfan

3. “I am lucky that the Western world chooses me to play roles in their movies an television, whatever language it may be.” – Irrfan

4. “Hollywood isn’t ready for an Indian leading man.” – Irrfan

5. “The day I become conventional, something inside me will die.” – Irrfan

6. “Maybe to become famous is to reassure yourself that whatever you’re lacking inside, you’ve fulfilled that.” – Irrfan

7. “Language does not make one an elite.” – Irrfan

8. “Honor and disgrace are not in your hands.” – Irrfan

9. “It surely gives you a high to be an international actor with quality work.” – Irrfan

10. “Cinema is changing every week, and multiplex audiences are demanding every week.” – Irrfan

11. “It’s always an inner wish of every actor to reach out to maximum audiences.” – Irrfan

12. “I don’t want to do romantic roles where I have to lip-sync to a song. A role that explores romance on a new level would suit me.”  – Irrfan

13. “Our Bollywood stars who talk of being part of 100 crore films, I think I belong to the 1,000 crore club.” – Irrfan

14. “What happens with every role, you have to trick yourself, you have to creatively find ways to explore the mental state of your character.” – Irrfan

15. “For me, acting is becoming naked in front of people, you know? And when you know in the back of your mind somebody is testing you, you cannot really bare yourself. That’s a feeling I always have when I’m auditioning.” – Irrfan

16. “I want to entertain people, but with some substance.” – Irrfan

17. “In India, therapy is not part of the culture; it has not become such a big need.” – Irrfan

18. “I was going through a crisis once, so I went to therapy because I was so unbearable for myself.” – Irrfan

19. “I am not ready to fit into the mould of commercial cinema.” – Irrfan

20. “A nation needs to know how to utilise talent.” – Irrfan

21. “I’ve played many characters that have consumed me and owned me.” – Irrfan

22. “The sign of a good society is where talent is respected.” – Irrfan

23. “I’m trying to strike a balance between Bollywood and Hollywood.” – Irrfan

24. “You cannot reduce the power of story with the tag of money because it’s not a share market. So you must know the seriousness of the power of storytelling.” – Irrfan

25. “When you come out of the theatre and you don’t even talk about that film or remember it, then it disappoints me.” – Irrfan

26. “I cannot live anywhere else except India.” – Irrfan

27. “I will only do a Hollywood film when there is something special offered to me.” – Irrfan

28. “I can’t think of a more pathetic situation for an actor than to do a film and not connect to it. And I pray to God that I never face that situation.” – Irrfan

29. “I’ve realized that my… let me call it ‘destiny’ or some force that has pushed me to identify looking for your comfort zone as a kind of limitation. And everybody has a tendency to fall into the comfort zone. I did that in the early stage of my career.” – Irrfan

30. “A film engages you emotionally and intellectually.” – Irrfan

31. “We don’t have a culture of realistic acting in India.” – Irrfan

32. “Parsi theatre was known for melodrama.” – Irrfan

33. “Sometimes when you’re playing a very intense character, a disturbed character, you find other layers. That’s much more interesting to me, rather than just playing ‘intense.’ I find it too boring.” – Irrfan

34. “Failure is there to teach you something so that you can go beyond that. There is a lesson hidden in there.” – Irrfan

35. “Honour and disgrace are not in your hands.” – Irrfan

36. “What happens with every role, you have to trick yourself, you have to creatively find ways to explore the mental state of your character.” – Irrfan

37. “I can’t think of a more pathetic situation for an actor than to do a film and not connect to it. And I pray to God that I never face that situation.” – Irrfan

38. “People like to see my work not face.” – Irrfan

39. “The key to a happy life is to accept you are never actually in control.” – Irrfan

40. “Wanting fame is a disease and one day, I will want to be free from this disease, from this desire. Where fame doesn’t matter. Where just experiencing life and being okay with it is enough.” – Irrfan

41. “When you are young you are fascinated by so many things. Some things drop, some stay. I can be without anything but I cannot be without nature.” – Irrfan

42. “I have never looked to create an image where people fall in love with my face or style. Yes, it does cross my mind. But I’ve been trying to create a space for myself where I don’t depend on that.” – Irrfan

43. “It pains me when a film actor or a cricketer is a youth icon. I don’t have anything against them. They are great entertainers; they are useful to society. They contribute to people’s lives. But they are not heroes.” – Irrfan

44. “I am Irrfan, just Irrfan. I’ve taken out Khan from my name… I do not want to be known by my religion, surname or lineage.” – Irrfan

45. “I am not a very talkative man, and people are threatened by silence. If you’re sitting in a group and you’re not saying anything, people start getting insecure. They start thinking, he’s a snob. Or, he’s thinking something negative about me. Silence brings out your devils.” – Irrfan

46. “When you are young you are fascinated by so many things. Some things drop, some stay. I can be without anything but I cannot be without nature” – Irrfan

47. “In Bollywood, the effort is to look younger, which sometimes is not at all enjoyable. People look at an actor and say he doesn’t look what he’s pretending to be. I hope it changes. I hope people can play their own age.” – Irrfan

 

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