Celluloid: The Indian in the Jurassic World

Irrfan Khan dons a significant role as Simon Masrani in the epic movie, ‘Jurassic World’, the fourth sequel of ‘Jurassic Park’, which opened to rave reviews and saccharine sounds of cash registers ringing. The movie raked in a huge moolah which makes one blink: a whopping 208.8million dollar in the first week of its North American opening, surpassing collections of two recent movies ‘Avengers’ and ‘Fast and Furious 7’.

Irrfan Khan emerged as the dark horse since he boasts of a significant screen presence unlike other Hollywood roles, which most often put Indian actors in blink-and-you-miss roles. Irrfan Khan, though not strictly a legendary actor this side of globe, yet, appeals to overseas audiences, in a way no other Bollywood actor has appealed. It definitely is heartening to realise that he played a pivotal role in a series that many would die to be a part of. And that too, of a noteworthy standing.

The saga of Indians chartering foreign waters isn’t new either. Earlier, several Indians took to Hollywood roles. Vijay Amritraj, the illustrious tennis star, featured on the Hollywood silver screen way back in 1980s. One can catch him in the James Bond flick ‘Octopussy’ featuring Roger Moore. Where he is Bond’s sidekick, who drives a classy-looking auto. You don’t for a moment think he is weedy on his acting skills, instead you find him decorous, lighting up scenes with his lively screen presence.

Another famous Indian who made girls swoon with his straight out of the Mills & Boon looks ‘Tall, dark, Handsome’ was Kabir Bedi. He has been offered many a role in Hollywood movies, but what truly comes to fore is his role in the flick ‘Octopussy’. He is basically a villain in the movie, but this part of the world he is looked upon as a hero for having chartered Hollywood waters early and for making a mark.

Naseeruddin Shah, a multifaceted and prominent actor, made his Hollywood presencein the flick, ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’. Where he effortlessly stepped into the shoes of ‘Captain Nemo’ of ‘Nautilus’. Pitched alongside globally renowned Hollywood star, Sean Connery, the movie was quite an attention-grabber. Although he acted in several English movies, this flick puts him directly under the gleam of spotlight.

Following closely on the heels of a similar success is Anil Kapoor, who acted in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Mission: Impossible -Ghost Protocol’ and won critical acclaim for his skills. Especially his role in ‘Ghost Protocol’, where he dons the role of a millionaire play boy, made audiences wonder who this nonchalant, terrific actor is?

Of course, how could one miss out on Amitabh Bachanchan’s Hollywood debut - ‘The Great Gatsby’? Breaking the mold, Amitabh has starred in the movie as Meyer Wolfsheim, a shady Jew who acts as a father figure to the mysterious Jay Gatsby, whose role is aptly filled in by the fabulously renowned actor - Leonardo DiCaprio. Amitabh dons this minor but significant role with a panache that is a kin to none.

However, when it simmers down to steady credible performance, Irrfan Khan grabs the limelight. Or else, which other Indian actor has been a part of English movies that consistently proved to be massive hits? Be it the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ or ‘The Namesake’ or ‘Life of PI’ or ‘The Amazing Spider Man’, Irrfan Khan has been hogging the spotlight for his extraordinary performance. Hollywood directors too seem to favour him since he comes across as a sane actor who can deliver goods without being overly pompous or a nervous wreck. No wonder his hands are full with international projects. Currently, he is shooting for Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’ in Budapest.

Reflecting on the success of ‘Jurassic World’, Irrfan Khan, in one his interviews to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ said, “When the first ‘Jurassic Park’ came out, I barely had the money to see it, and now I'm playing a part.” Undoubtedly, the actor has come a long way!

Daniel Indrupati