Oscar's video about hope features Irrfan. Keep tissues ready!
Late actor Irrfan Khan has been immortalized again by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science in an inspiring video on hope to tide over the pandemic blues. The Academy recently shared the video, and is getting massive praise from film lovers all over the world, not only because of its content but also for the heartfelt tribute to the legendary Indian actor.
In an appeal to the world to stay strong, the over 1-minute video has shots from many unforgettable films like Parasite, The Shawshank Redemption, Rocky Balboa, The Karate Kid (1984), Captain Marvel, and others. However, what moved Indian viewers specifically was how the video climaxed with a Life of Pi scene in which Irrfan was asked if Pi's life ended happily.
At the end of the clip titled, A celebration of hope, Irrfan answered the question about happiness by saying, "Well, that's up to you." The video was also power-packed with dialogues by other famous characters. Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight was seen saying "the dawn is coming," while Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa said life "is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
A celebration of hope—through the lens of movies we love. pic.twitter.com/EYZ5FPvHdl
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) July 29, 2020
Unsurprisingly, the video made Indian fans emotional. Irrfan's The Lunchbox co-star Nimrat Kaur tweeted, "A heavy heart smiles with the last frame. Such a rich, moving collage. #IrrfanForever." Writer Aseem Chhabra, who has written a book titled 'Irrfan Khan; The Man, The Dreamer, The Star', wrote, "This is so beautiful - celebration of the sense of hope and ending with #IrrfanKhan's smiling face! (sic)"
A heavy heart smiles with the last frame. Such a rich, moving collage. #IrrfanForever https://t.co/OhGMc87tT7
— Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) July 29, 2020
A natural actor, Irrfan made himself known in Hollywood with his stellar performance in The Namesake in 2006. He was also seen in key roles in big-budget films such as Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, Inferno, Jurassic World, and Puzzle (2018). Notably, for his first love, the Indian cinema, Irrfan had turned down offers from Leonardo Di Caprio and Steven Spielberg.
Irrfan died on April 29, almost two years after he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor. Condoling his demise, The Academy in its April 29 tweet grieved over how this "mainstay" of Bollywood cinema and "incredible talent" would be greatly missed. The Bollywood industry was shocked by his death, more so because Irrfan charmed in both art and commercial films with ease.
