Contemporary actor Irrfan Khan has quite a grip in Hollywood, with western actors heaping praises on him. After well-known actor and 'Inferno' co-star Tom Hanks commended his professionalism, American actress and comedienne Mindy Kaling called him her “favourite actor in the world” last week.
While the actor himself has taken his foreign projects seriously, he recently turned down a Steven Spielberg drama 'Ghost in the Shell', alongside Scarlett Johansson. While his fans and the media collectively gasped, the actor said, “No is never a pleasant thing to say. I believe there is a right time for things to fall in place. I feel extremely humbled by the kind of opportunities that come my way and I am hungry for so much more as an actor,” he said. Talking about ScarJo, he said, “She's a brilliant actor. Hopefully, we will share screen space sometime soon in something else.” The actor has been part of two-Oscar winning films, 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Life of Pi'. He had bowed out of Ridley Scott's 'The Martian', and was eventually replaced by Chiwetel Ejiofor as a scientist of Indian-origin in the Matt Damon-starrer.
“It's quite a dilemma for me to make such choices as I am at a stage in my career where I'm trying my best to surprise my audience with every role, give them some variety. Who wouldn't want to work with prestigious names like Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg! I am hoping the future holds something so path-breaking and so empowering for me as an artist that a 'no' will not be an option,” he said.
