The Various Avatars of IRRFAN: A Star from Bollywood and the Question of Modernity

Abstract

Scholars have defined stars as “A person of brilliant reputation or talents. An actor, singer, etc. of exceptional celebrity,
or one whose name is prominently advertised as a special attraction to the public.”i Ginette Vinscendeau, in her study of
the stars in French cinema system, redraws the historicity of the usage of the English word „star‟ into French to its
theatrical roots, with words like „monstre sacre‟ and „vedette‟.ii She notes how some of the best French stars like JeanPaul Belmondo, Anna Karina and Jeanne Moreau were trained in theatre. This would certainly put the actor Irrfan in
the very same lists, if not higher, as some of these world‟s best known stars. However, if there is one thing that
differentiates Irrfan from other stars, it is his penchant for doing the roles of ordinary men in ordinary situations that he
stated in public in many times. His mass appeal, even when he went on to do Hollywood films, was based upon this
down-to-earth attitude, which made him relatable to common masses.