British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed says Irrfan Khan was a ‘guiding light’ and his legacy is still being understood

The late Irrfan Khan has fans all over the world, including Oscar nominated actor Riz Ahmed.

The British-Pakistani actor has made a name for himself in hit movies such as Mowgli and Venom but like any other desi child that grew up watching Bollywood, he found Khan inspiring.

In an interview with PTI Ahmed listed The Warrior, The Lunchbox and Maqbool — all movies that Khan as starred in — as his all-time favourites and said these films made him a fan of the Indian actor. He believes that Khan's legacy is still being understood as people are discovering his projects, more so after his demise.

“I don’t really think there had been an actor like him, until he came along. By that, I mean someone who seamlessly managed to bridge Bollywood and Hollywood, independent films and commercial films, in two languages and across the two biggest film industries in the world,” the 39-year-old actor said.

Ahmed had paid tribute to Khan earlier this year in his acceptance speech after he won an award for Best Actor in Sound of Metal at Gotham Awards in Manhattan, New York.

"Just those eyes… I remember seeing him for the first time in The Warrior, The Lunchbox, and Maqbool. I remember seeing him in Life of Pi and each time, the way that he could just be so unapologetically himself and still transform," he told the news agency.

Ahmed called Khan a "guiding light" for an entire generation. “I think we were lucky to have been alive in a time when he was creating," said Ahmed. He also wished that more actors like him (Khan) make use of the given platforms and "bridge the two worlds and industries.”

The Sound of Metal actor has time and again shown admiration for Khan who died from a rare form of cancer in early 2020. Khan had a successful career both in Bollywood and Hollywood. Till this day the actor is remembered for his acting skills by both the stars who shared the screen with him and his fans around the world.