Six years after his death on April 29, 2020, Irrfan Khan he remains remembered not only for his unforgettable performances but also for the quiet wisdom he shared off-screen. The beloved actor, who died at age 53 after a battle with a neuroendocrine tumor, left behind words that are as relevant today as ever, about age, creativity and the art of going with the flow.
Irrfan Khan shares words of wisdom
In an old interview with CNN-News18, Irrfan was asked if turning 50 has made him wiser. He replied, “I don’t understand the obsession with counting years. Age has nothing to do with wisdom. It’s just what kind of life you lead.”He went on to explain that true intelligence comes from exposure and experience, not the number of years lived. The actor shared, “Sometimes I meet kids who are way smarter than me. It’s just an exposure and your mind bent, then you seek and grow without hesitation. Sometimes you have an attitude or a tendency to grasp or observe things.’
He added: “If you have that, then age is just a factor. But I’m lucky that I chose this job. At first, I chose it for fame and money, but when I got into drama schools, I saw the potential there.”
Irrfan Khan on aging Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen
For Irrfan, the real fear of aging as an actor had nothing to do with looks. It was an opportunity to lose the appetite for experimentation. He looked to icons like Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen as the gold standard for aging gracefully.He said: “Take Clint Eastwood or Woody Allen, for example, the way they’re aging is absolutely wow. I’d love to age like that, where it’s still being explored. So you have to bring new blood and new thoughts to the stories. You can’t do it yourself all the time.”Now he closed with a thought that carries additional poignancy:He shared, “It’s a tragedy if you don’t realize that your creative instincts are gone. It’s a helpless situation where you don’t know why it’s not working. I think that’s the scariest and scariest thing.’Why Irrfan Khan stopped planning and learned to go with the flowIrrfan Khan also spoke candidly about his complicated relationship with planning and how life repeatedly pulled him away from it. She said, “I used to plan things, but my planning never worked. For me, it’s about reacting spontaneously to things and going with the flow. Life has deliberately given me “don’t plan, and I’ll see to it that your plan doesn’t happen”. I learned that lesson very early in my life.“The actor added, “Life kept me constantly giving impulses that don’t fix things. I’m thankful that I listened to what life was telling me. I could have taken that signal. I can’t plan. If I plan for two months, I start drowning.”
More about Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan passed away on 29 April 2020. He is remembered as one of them Indian cinemathe best actors and the most thoughtful voices.
