Indian actor Irrfan Khan dies after long battle with cancer

Irrfan Khan, an Indian filmstar who brought a modern sensibility to recent hit movies and featured in several Hollywood films such as "Life of Pi" and "The Namesake", died on Wednesday.

Khan's death, after a prolonged battle with cancer, was confirmed by a spokesman for the actor in a brief statement.

Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in western cinema, following earlier crossover pioneers like Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth and Om Puri.