Khan is India’s finest character actor today.
By The American Bazaar Staff
MUMBAI: Actor Irrfan Khan will lead the jury in the narrative feature competition of The Abu Dhabi Film Festival, which kicks off in the United Arab Emirates capital on Friday.
The Mumbai-based star of 2013’s crossover hit ‘The Lunchbox’ will be joined by Algerian novelist and academic Waciny Laredi, U.S director-producer Stephen Shainberg (Secretary), Australian director Cate Shortland and Palestinian actor Ali Suliman, recently seen opposite Mark Wahlberg in Lone Survivor, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The jury for the New Horizons section for first- and second-time features is being led by French producer Catherine Dussart (The Missing Picture), while the documentary jury head is cinematographer Christina Voros (As I Lay Dying).
The festival runs until Nov. 1, opening with Emirati film From A to B by local filmmaker Ali F. Mostafa and closing with Disney’s animated superhero adventure Big Hero 6.
Khan, who was credited as Irrfan Khan in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man, is arguably India’s finest character actor today, on the lines of Naseeruddin Shah.
His cast repertoire of roles include the films, The Warrior, Maqbool, Haasil, Charas: A Joint Effort, Paan Singh Tomar, Knock Out, Gunday, The Lunchbox, and Rog. He also hosted the TV show Mano Ya Na Mano.
His English-language mainstream work includes character roles in movies like The Namesake, New York, I Love You, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Life of Pi, as well as in the HBO series In Treatment.
Khan has won three Filmfare Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He is also the recipient of 2011 Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award in India. He has garnered the National Film Award for Best Actor in the 60th National Film Awards 2012, for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar.