IRRFAN KHAN: THE MAN, THE DREAMER, THE STAR is a summary of all interviews of irrfan Khan. The book looks at the life and work of the actor that begins in a small household in Rajasthan and culminates in his face gazing down from billboards in Hollywood.


Irrfan Khan is a gentle dreamer with arresting eyes, a towering presence and an illustrious filmography. Most of us know the man only through the characters that he has played: Roohdaar in Haider, Maqbool in the eponymous film, Rana in Piku, Saajan in The Lunchbox, and of course, Ashoke in The Namesake. Today, these characters have made him a recognized name around the world. Irrfan Khan is an intimate and meticulously researched account of this refreshingly unique and unconventional Indian icon. Drawn from personal interviews and told through many voices, Aseem Chhabra traces Irrfan’s personal and artistic life in all its many shades. Rich in detail and peppered with anecdotes, it is a fascinating look at the life and work of the actor that begins in a small household in Rajasthan and culminates in his face gazing down from billboards in Hollywood. It explores some of his greatest performances that have shown India and the world what cinema can do. At the heart of this story, however, is a man, possibly the finest actor of his generation, his passion for the craft of acting and his love for unusual characters.


Review:

This book shares the fine details about Irrfan's life and how he paved his way to the accolades that he earned over time. He is a natural actor. Improviser and non-methodical. The book mentions his story one chapter at a time. Being a voracious reader Irrfan overcame all of the challanges, his life offered to him. And as he tweeted when he informed the world about his neuroendocrine tumor, "Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect" One thing that I personally missed in the book was more details about how he coped up with his cancer. A first hand experience about what difficulties or traumas he went through, what was his inspiration, how he faced all that shit and came out. Knowing thay I would have felt more close to the Man for people like Irrfan Khan aren't just stars or celebrity that drive media and attention, they rather inspire the people like us who are still struggling to find their kick. We relate to these people who've started from ground zero, had no privileges. We relate to these people who have carved their own way into this beautiful world. They're our role models.


Author:

Aseem Chhabra is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed books, Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star (2016) and Priyanka Chopra: The Incredible Story of a Global Bollywood Star (2018). A film journalist, freelance writer and film festival programmer in New York City, he has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mumbai Mirror, Rediff.com, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Outlook, BBC, Quartz, Scroll and Newslaundry; and has been a commentator on Indian cinema and popular culture on NPR, CNN, BBC, CBC, ABC's 'Good Morning America', Associated Press and Reuters. Aseem is the festival director of the New York Indian Film Festival. He has also programmed Indian, Asian and international film festivals in Bengaluru, Pittsburgh, Malta and Macao. He is the voice of Shadow Puppet #1 in director Nina Paley's award-winning animated film, Sita Sings the Blues. Aseem is from Delhi, lives in New York and visits India often. He can be followed on Twitter @chhabs. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.