Paulo Coelho smiles as he arrives for the screening of the film "Cosmopolis" in Cannes. File/AFP

Gulf Today Report

Bestselling author Paulo Coelho paid a moving tribute to acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan using a quote from Bhagavad Gita, saying, "A star joins other stars in the sky".

The author took to Twitter to mourn the loss, and thanked him for his immense contribution to cinema.

"A star joins other stars in the sky. Thank you for everything, Irrfan Khan. 'Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable' -- Bhagavad Gita," he posted.

With projects like "Paan Singh Tomar", "Piku", "Talvar", "The Lunchbox", "Maqbool", and "7 Khoon Maaf", Irrfan carved a name for himself in Hindi cinema. He has gradually established himself in the West too. He featured in foreign films like "The Namesake", "Life of Pi", "A Mighty Heart", "Slumdog Millionaire', "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Inferno" and "Jurassic World".

Irrfan died on Wednesday morning due to complications related to colon infection. Earlier, in 2018, he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour and underwent treatment in London for it. He is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and sons Babil and Ayaan.