Throwback Thursday: When Irrfan Khan Made THIS Malayalam Superstar Drop Out Of Engineering And Return To Acting

A good film and an excellent actor can influence people in a myriad of ways. People can be positively influenced by an actor and decide to start their life afresh. That is what happened with this popular Malayalam superstar.

In a video shared by Chalchitra Talks, it was revealed that this superstar’s life changed after watching an Irrfan Khan film. The video reveals that back in 2002, a Malayalam film – ‘Kaiyethum Doorath’- was released. This romantic film saw a fresh face in the lead role. The actor was named Shaanu.

However, the film tanked at the box office. Following the loss made by the film, Shaanu left for the United States to complete his studies. While he was in the United States, he found a DVD in a Pakistani grocery store. It was ‘Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota’ directed by Naseeruddin Shah. As he was watching the film, he loved Irrfan who played the role of Salim Rajabali in the film.

He was so moved by Irrfan’s acting that he dropped out of engineering and decided to act again.

From then till today, Shaanu has become a popular face in South cinema. Except that he is no longer known as Shaanu, but Fahadh Faasil. It was Fahadh Faasil who was so moved by Irrfan’s performance that he decided to choose to act again. After ‘Kaiyethum Doorath’ in 2002, Fahadh Faasil was seen in ‘Kerala Cafe’ (2009). When Irrfan passed away in 2020, the actor penned a moving tribute for him. He wrote, “The entire day went by today and I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I feel obliged to him. I feel like I owe my career to him. I don’t think I would have come this far If I hadn’t picked up that DVD and watched an actor who changed my life.”

Fahadh Faasil was last seen in ‘Maamannan.’