5. Maqbool

When two talent powerhouses like Vishal Bhardwaj and Irrfan Khan join hands to work on something, it's likely to become a true masterpiece. And that's exactly what Maqbool was. Touted by most as the movie that introduced Irrfan Khan to mainstream Bollywood, his portrayal of Miyan Maqbool in Vishal Bhardwaj's cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, managed to focus every unsuspecting viewer's attention on his evidently raw talent and effortless acting chops. And now in retrospect, only Irrfan Khan could have depicted Maqbool's fictional dilemma between romantic love and loyalty for his mentor, with such heart-touching conviction.

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Image Courtesy - Mango Bollywood

6. Life of Pi

It's challenging for me to sum up Irrfan Khan's performance in Life Of Pi, as anything but stunningly surreal. An already incredible plotline was further enhanced by the actor's phenomenal performance. While playing the role of an older Pi, Irrfan Khan seamlessly convinced the audience to believe in the story, of what was ironically the most imaginative film of that year. Like always, Irrfan slips into the shoes of a made-up character in Life of Pi, with fantastic candour and warmth. He made a far-fetched tale seem remarkably relatable to the masses, and that speaks volumes about his incomparable talent.

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Image Courtesy - South Asian Americal Digital Archive

7. The Namesake

Let me admit right off the bat, as a Bengali with an inexpressible love for books, I am slightly partial towards this one. But if you've seen this movie you can perhaps empathise with my affection for it. The Namesake is hauntingly beautiful and moving, both on paper and screen. But Irrfan Khan's stellar acting as the intellectual Ashoke, managed to transfuse brilliance into some of the most ordinary, everyday situations. This visually poetic film is nothing short of the best of art in Indian cinema, and Irrfan Khan the artist that breathes life into it.

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Image Courtesy - IMP Awards

8. Haider

"Darya bhi main, darakht bhi main. Jhelum bhi main, chinar bhi main. Dair bhi hoon, haram bhi hoon. Shia bhi hoon, Sunni bhi hoon, main hoon pandit, main tha, main hoon aur main hi rahoonga."

If you've seen Haider, you can probably still recall the goosebumps these heavy words uttered in Irrfan's impactful voice, left behind. Irrfan Khan wasn't a lead in this movie. In fact, his important character actually got very limited screentime in the film. Yet, somehow, through his astounding delivery, sheer talent and ingenuity, Irrfan Khan left a bigger impression in his role of Roohdar, than some of the lead actors. Just with a few minutes of acting onscreen, he managed to steal the show in a film stretching beyond 2 hours. And if that isn't extraordinary, I don't know what is.

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Image Courtesy - Firstpost

9. Hindi Medium

Every now and then, an extraordinary film graces the world of Bollywood, and Hindi Medium was the one to rouse cinema lovers in 2017. A sincere story rooted in realistic problems, this moving film was raised to the level of an emotive gem by Irrfan's heartwarming performance as Raj Batra. This movie brings into sharp focus, some very crucial, but not-discussed-enough social problems, along with our flawed education system and a colonial sense of superiority over those not proficient in English. With his indisputable artistic expertise, Irrfan Khan addresses some heavy themes and infuses them with easygoing humour and relatable observations.

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Image Courtesy - India TV

10. Slumdog Millionaire

One of the most successful films in the history of cinema, Slumdog Millionaire received countless accolades and praises, along with its fair share of criticism, from all over the globe. However, despite the main spotlight being on the lead characters of the story, Irrfan Khan managed to make his presence felt in his character as a gritty police officer. The fact that the character played by Irrfan in the movie is still memorable, even though his role was at a distance from the centre stage, and it's been more than 10 years since the film released, is a testament to the magic that was Irrfan Khan as an actor.

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Image Courtesy - Hello Magazine

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