Marking the one-year death anniversary of Indian actor Irrfan Khan, we take a look at some of his unforgettable performances in a comical role. A year has passed by since we lost one of Bollywood‘s most legendary actors, Irrfan Khan. 29 April 2020 was the day when people, all around the globe, mourned losing such a great actor. On Thursday, which marked the late actor’s one-year death anniversary, the Indian film stars and netizens were quick to pen down emotional messages to him. Irrfan Khan was one of the most celebrated Indian actors. His talent was just not confined to Bollywood as he shined brightly in Hollywood as well. We also pay our respects to Irrfan Khan by listing down his best comedy movies that can be watched on OTT.
His great acting skills, and ability to fit into any kind of roles perfectly, made him the best actor the Indian Film Industry had. Irrfan used to speak and emote with his beautiful eyes. He left a huge legacy of great cinema behind him. Today we peek into some of his movies that were laughter riots with beautiful stories. In the time of hardships, and our battle with the virus, stay at home and enjoy Irrfan Khan’s best comedy movies which can be caught on an OTT platform:
Karwaan
This 2018 movie went unnoticed by many. Directed by Akarsh Khurana, this movie showcases three people- a garage owner, an engineer who despises his job, and a student- on a road trip to Kochi to solve a misunderstanding caused by a shipping company. This movie exhibits beauty visually as well as with its heartfelt story. It captures the true essence of South India and its beautiful landscapes. The background music of the movie adds magic to the screenplay. Irrfan’s character, Shaukat, is the center of the movie whose dialogues could make you cry with laughter. His impeccable performance and dialogue delivery make the character stay with you forever. This movie also marks the Bollywood debuts of Mithila Palkar and Dulquer Salman. The original soundtrack of the movie features some great songs and is the most underrated music album.
Where to watch- Amazon Prime Video
Qarib Qarib Singlle
What happens when two middle-aged people, with completely opposite personalities, meet on a dating platform? The Tanuja Chandra directed movie takes you on an exhilarating journey where Yogi and Jaya, played by Irrfan Khan and Parvathy Thiruvothu respectively, commence together to find the whereabouts of Yogi’s ex-lovers. Irrfan’s goofy character again sets an example of how good he was. This aesthetic journey leads to find each other, Yogi’s Shayari and Jaya’s struggle to move on is something to watch for. The movie features some great songs such as “Tu Chale Toh” by Papon and “Jaane De” by Atif Aslam.
Where to watch – Netflix, Zee 5
Hindi Medium
The 2017 comedy-drama was a satire on the Indian schooling system. The movie, directed by Saket Sharma, was quite a successful venture. Showcasing parents who are struggling to enroll their daughter into the best schools, it explores what extent can they go to? The movie has some hilarious sequences, and at the same time showcases life in poor chawls. Irrfan’s monologue at the end about the faulty education system is very emotional and certain to bring tears to your eyes. But even then, it is one of the best comedy movies of Irrfan Khan to watch on OTT.
Where to watch – Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar
The Lunchbox
The Lunchbox was a 2013 romantic drama directed by Ritesh Batra. The movie was a huge success both overseas and domestically. It premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and travelled a long way to the Toronto Film Festival and others. It also received a nomination for Best Film Award at the British Academy Film and Television Awards. The Lunchbox depicts a beautiful story as to what follows when a lunchbox, in Mumbai’s great lunchbox system, gets delivered to the wrong address. The movie features an ensemble cast of Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Nimrat Kaur as leads. Fun trivia: Irrfan Khan had to drop out of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar because he had already promised his dates for The Lunchbox. But what a sweet movie The Lunchbox is.
Where to watch – Netflix
Piku
A “slice of life” film that will make you laugh, cry and take you on a ride of emotions is the family drama Piku. This movie too has an ensemble cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan as the leads. It is about a hot-headed daughter who wants to take her constantly nagging father on a road trip to their homeland Kolkata. The Shoojit Sircar directorial encompasses a great road trip, a beautiful tale and fabulous performances all in one. In this movie, Irrfan Khan doesn’t play the protagonist and yet, he mesmerised everyone with his performance, hence, it falls in the list of his best comedy movies on OTT.
Where to watch – Sony Liv
Billu
Directed by Priyadarshan, the 2009 movie was a musical comedy-drama. Irrfan Khan plays the role of a barber in a small town. He is a father and a family man with hard principles, who faces difficulties in meeting ends at home. Things take a turn when people get to know that he is friends with a Bollywood superstar who is visiting the village for shooting. They start showering him with favours even when he declines the offer. Irrfan again delivers a great performance in this movie. It also had Shah Rukh Khan play a cameo as the Bollywood superstar.
Where to watch – Netflix
Blackmail
Another underrated movie of Irrfan Khan that was released in 2018 was the Abhinav Deo directorial dark comedy “Blackmail”. It is a hilarious ride with the characters blackmailing each other over their secrets. A cat and mouse chase, murders, and lots of cash. With an interesting plot and great performances, Blackmail is one of the best of its genres. Irrfan does a commendable job by playing the role of a layered man who is recently married, hates his job, and is a little corrupt at heart. What happens when he finds that his wife cheats on him? He starts to blackmail her! Amit Trivedi’s background score powers the movie to another level.
Where to watch – Amazon Prime Video
Angrezi Medium
Last but not the least, the movie which blessed us with the late actor’s performance was 2020 Angrezi Medium; a sequel to the 2017 Hindi Medium. The movie beautifully portrays a father-daughter relationship. Although the movie is in the form of a comedy, tears never stop dripping from your eyes when you watch it now, thinking as it would be the last time that we get to see Irrfan Khan’s unmatched performance.
Where to watch – Disney+Hotstar
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