Happy Birthday, Irrfan Khan. The Warrior@53

Irrfan Khan is undoubtedly one of the most talented actors in Indian cinema. From starting his career as a television artist to featuring in blockbuster films in Hollywood, Irrfan Khan has come a long way.

As Irrfan Khan turns 53 today, here's a look at his life and career through a pictorial journey!

Irrfan Khan was born on January 7, 1967 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Irrfan Khan was completing his Masters when he earned a scholarship to study at the National School of Drama in 1984.

Irrfan Khan moved to Mumbai to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. He featured in numerable television serials like Chanakya, Bharat Ek Khoj, Sara Jahan Hamara, Banegi Apni Baat, Chandrakanta, Shrikant. He was also part of Sparsh, which aired on Star Plus.

Irrfan Khan was the main villain in a series called Darr (which aired on Star Plus), where he played the role of a psycho serial killer opposite Kay Kay Menon. He also featured as Lenin in a teleplay named Laal Ghaas Par Neele Ghode.

Irrfan Khan made his screen debut with Mira Nair's Academy Award nominated film Salaam Bombay! in 1988. Irrfan Khan had a cameo in the film.

In the consecutive years, Irrfan Khan appeared in several Bollywood films like Ek Doctor Ki Maut and Such A Long Journey, which failed to make a mark in his career.

After a series of unsuccessful films, it was London-based director Asif Kapadia's The Warrior which gave the actor international recognition. The Warrior opened in international film festivals in 2001.

In 2003, Irrfan Khan featured in Maqbool in which the actor played the titular role. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film also featured Tabu, Kunal Kapoor and Pankaj Kapur. Maqbool was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. He also featured in Haasil, which released in the same year. Irrfan Khan, who featured as an antagonist in Haasil, won his first Filmfare for his performance in the film.

In 2007, Irrfan Khan featured in Anurag Basu's Life In A...Metro for which he bagged the Filmfare for Best Supporting Actor. He also featured in the A Mighty Heart and The Darjeeling Limited in the same year.

In 2008, Irrfan Khan featured in Oscar Award winner Slumdog Millionaire, where he played the role of a cop. In the following years, Irrfan Khan also featured in Bollywood films like New York, Paan Singh Tomar and Acid Factory.

In 2012 released Life Of Pi, where Irrfan Khan played the adult version of Piscine Molitor Patel/ Pi, the titular character of the film. The film received commercial as well as critical success.

In 2013, he featured in The Lunchbox opposite Nimrat Kaur, which won the Grand Rail d'Or at Cannes Film Festival and received a BAFTA nomination, and became his highest-grossing Hindi film up until then.

In 2014, Irrfan Khan featured as a cop in Gunday, which also starred Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor. He also made special appearances in The Xpose and Haider in the same year.

In 2015, he played a pivotal role in Shoojit Sircar's Piku. He featured alongside Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan.

In the same year, Irrfan Khan also appeared in Jurassic World, the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park film series.

Irrfan Khan also appeared in the critically acclaimed film Talvar and Jazbaa, which also featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

In 2017, Irrfan Khan appeared in 2017's Hindi Medium and Qarib Qarib Singlle. Hindi Medium received critical as well as commercial success. The film fared extremely well in China box office as well.

Irrfan Khan's fans were in for a big shock when the actor revealed that he has contracted a "rare disease". Irrfan was shifted to London to receive treatment for neuroendocrine tumour, earlier last year. He tweeted to say that he's been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in March 2018. Irrfan Khan has always shared health updates on his social media.

This image was posted on Instagram by irrfan

Amidst the news of his cancer diagnosis, Irrfan Khan's Blackmail and Karwaan released. Both the films failed to show the expected magic. He will next be seen in Raj Batra's Angrezi Medium, in which he will share screen space with Kareena Kapoor.

This image was posted on Instagram by irrfan

Happy birthday, Irrfan Khan.

This image was posted on Instagram by irrfan