Irrfan Khanâs impact on Indian filmmaking cannot be understated, no doubt. 

Across two decades of initial struggle and eventual worldwide success and fame, the actor has lent his talent to everything from some of Bollywoodâs most timeless films, to high-profile Hollywood castings and perhaps on a more day-to-day basis, several memorable advertisements throughout the years. 

While most recently remembered for his quick quips as a brand ambassador for LED manufacturers Syska - for whom the actor shot his last ad for in the midst of his gruelling battle with cancer. 

© SYSKA

Irrfan lent his calm, collected persona to several major brands from all over the world - appearing in spots for everything from Vodafone to Mastercard. 

Rajiv Rao, former National Creative Director, Ogilvy India, worked with Khan on the Vodafone ads since the beginning. 

âWe were supposed to shoot in the night in Delhi for the Hutch ad,â he recalls. âBut he couldnât make it to the shoot for some reason and came the very next day. The shoot happened in Connaught Place in Delhi in a tiny tea shop. We shot the ad in the middle of the day in the Delhi heat, where he was supposed to have a âcutting chaiâ. I remember he had worked all night. He still came and made our shoot happen without complaining. He was excellent at the shoot.â 

Just one in a series of stories recalling the starâs humility and patience towards his work. Here are a few of his very best brand partnerships over the years:

1.Vodafone/Hutch

Lena hai toh leh lo - the actorâs nonchalant attitude was a perfect fit for many brands on this list, but itâs fair to say that his delivery was perfected in this series of ads shot in 2009 for the telecom giant in partnership with Ogilvy & Mather.

2. Candid Dusting Powder

Only Irrfan could make a medical powder brand cool - itâs also fun to see him cast alongside badminton champion Saina Nehwal in this quick TV spot from 2016.

3. LU Bakeri Nankhatai

A really good example of Irrfanâs vocal range as a voiceover artist, this simple yet sweet ad crossed borders and gave us an unusual example of an Indian artist taking on a Pakistani brand - and speaking in Urdu to boot.

4. Mastercard

One of the longer and more  high-profile ads on this list, this showed Irrfan playing the role of a reserved pencil pusher opening up while travelling to attend a friendâs wedding in Jaipur. 

Shot by McCann, this also had a special connection to the actor, as many of his earliest efforts in the theatre took place during his youth spent in the Pink City.

5. Aegon Religare

While most of Irrfanâs ad appearances show him as a slick, modern individual, this one flipped the script by casting him as a hilarious old man in disguise - taking note of the various expenses pensioners would have to face in old age. 

Itâs touching to notice that other than fans and movie personalities, several ad directors also wrote personal messages of support praising the actorâs professionalism and warmth - just take a look at this heartfelt letter written by Piyush Pandey, one of Indiaâs most well-respected and influential copywriters. 

Piyush Pandey is not on social media, so he asked me to post this message about Irfan Khan. pic.twitter.com/kvkRTe2TtA

â Anant Rangaswami (@AnantRangaswami) April 29, 2020

I guess the next time we see those Syska ads, theyâll hit pretty differently.

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