Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who was battling an endocrine tumour, a rare illness affecting cells that release hormones into the bloodstream, has died at the age of 53, according to BBC.

Khan, one of Indian cinema’s most respected actors, was also able to carve a name for himself internationally with significant roles in Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and Jurassic World.

According to a NDTV report, Khan died on Wednesday in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where he was being treated for a colon infection.

The actor had announced his illness in 2018 following which he underwent treatment in a London hospital before returning to Mumbai. A few months after the diagnosis, Khan had written an open letter opening up about his fight with cancer.

Khan had recently lost his mother, 95, on April 25 in Jaipur. He could not attend the final rites of his mother, as he was in lockdown in Mumbai owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The actor’s latest film was Angrezi Medium which was released a few days before India went on a nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic. The actor had won India's National Film Award in 2013 for his portrayal of Paan Singh Tomar, one of India's most revered athletes, in a biopic titled after the athlete.