Amjad Khan (actor)
Amjad Khan (12 November 1940 – 27 July 1992) was an Indian actor and director.[1] He worked in over 130 films in a career spanning nearly twenty years. He enjoyed popularity for villainous roles in Hindi films, the most famous being the iconic Gabbar Singh in the 1975 classic Sholay[2] and of Dilawar in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978).
Amjad Khan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 12 November 1940 |
| Died | 27 July 1992 (aged 51) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | actor, director |
| Years active | 1965-1992 |
| Known for | Portraying Gabbar Singh |
Notable work | Sholay |
| Spouse(s) | Shaila Khan |
| Children | Shadaab Khan Ahlam Khan Seemab Khan |
Early life
Amjad Khan was born in Peshawar, British India to legendary actor Jayant in a Pashtun family.[3]
His brothers are actors Imtiaz Khan and Inayat Khan. Khan was educated at St. Andrew's High School, in Bandra.
He attended R D National College, where he held the position of general secretary, the highest elected student body representative.
Career
Before Amjad Khan came to films, he was a theatre actor. His first role was in the film Nazneen (1951). His next role was at the age of 17 in the film Ab Dilli Dur Nahin (1957).[4] He made appearances in minor roles with father Jayant in a few films. He assisted K. Asif in Love And God in the late 1960s and had a brief appearance in the film. The film was left incomplete after Asif's death in 1971, and it was finally released in 1986. In 1973 he made his debut as an adult in Hindustan Ki Kasam.
In 1975, he was offered the role of dacoit Gabbar Singh for the film Sholay by Salim Khan, who was one of its writers. In preparation for the role, Amjad read Abhishapth Chambal, a book on Chambal dacoits written by Taroon Kumar Bhaduri (actress Jaya Bhaduri's father). Amjad shot to stardom with the movie. His portrayal of Gabbar Singh is considered by many to be the first depiction of pure evil in Indian Cinema. His mannerisms and dialogues have become an integral part of the Bollywood lexicon and spawned numerous parodies and spoofs [Specially "Soja Nahi to Gabbar Ajayega"]. Sholay went on to become a blockbuster. Although it boasted an ensemble cast of superstars including Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar, who was nominated that year for the Filmfare award for Best Actor category, Amjad stole the show with his unorthodox and eerie dialogue delivery. Even to this day people fondly remember his dialogues and mannerisms. He later appeared in advertisements as Gabbar Singh endorsing Britannia Glucose Biscuits (popularly known as Gabbar Ki Asli Pasand), the first incidence of a villain being used to sell a popular product.[5]
After the success of Sholay, Khan continued to play negative roles in many subsequent Hindi films in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s – superseding, in terms of popularity and demand, the earlier Indian actor, Ajit. He often acted as villain opposite Amitabh Bachchan as the hero. His role in Inkaar was also presented in terrifying manner. He made his presence felt in Des Pardes, Nastik, Satte Pe Satta, Chambal Ki Kasam, Ganga Ki Saugandh, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin and Naseeb.
Khan was also acclaimed for playing many unconventional roles. In the critically acclaimed film Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977) (based on the novel of the same title), by Munshi Premchand and directed by Satyajit Ray, Khan played the helpless and deluded monarch Wajid Ali Shah, whose kingdom, Avadh, is being targeted by British colonialists from the British East India Company. It is the only movie in which he dubbed a song. In 1979 he portrayed Emperor Akbar in the film [[MeeraMeera (1979 film)]], Gulzar's epic portrayal of Meerabai starring Hema Malini and Vinod Khanna. He played many positive roles in films such as Yaarana (1981) and Laawaris (1981) as Amitabh's friend and father respectively. In the art film Utsav (1984), he portrayed Vatsayana, the author of the Kama Sutra. In 1988, he appeared in the Merchant Ivory English film The Perfect Murder as an underworld don. He excelled at playing comical characters in films such as Qurbani (1980), Love Story and Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986). In 1991, he reprised his role as Gabbar Singh in Ramgarh Ke Sholay, a parody of the legendary film which included look-alikes of Dev Anand and Amitabh Bachchan.
He ventured into directing for a brief period in the 1980s, directing and starring in Chor Police (1983), which did not do well, and Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi (1985) which was a blockbuster at the box office.
Amjad was the president of the Actors Guild Association. He was respected in the film industry. He would intervene and negotiate disputes between actors and directors/producers. One such dispute occurred when Dimple Kapadia agreed to play a mother role and later backed out. The entire film producers' community tried to boycott her. Khan intervened on behalf of the Actors Guild.
Personal life
In 1972, he married Shehla Khan and in the following year, she gave birth to their first child, Shadaab Khan, who acted in a few films. He also had a daughter, Ahlam Khan, and another son, Seemaab Khan. Ahlam married popular theatre actor Zafar Karachiwala in 2011.[6]
Death
In 1976,[7][8] Amjad Khan had a severe accident on the Mumbai-Goa highway which left him with broken ribs and a punctured lung. He was going to participate in the shooting of the film The Great Gambler, starring Amitabh Bachchan.[9] Due to the serious injuries he also almost slipped into a coma, but he recovered soon. The drug administered during his operation caused him to gain a lot of weight, which led to further health complications. As a result of his increasing weight, he died in 1992 due to heart failure at the age of 51. Several of the films he had completed were released after his death, until 1996.
Awards and nominations
Filmfare Awards[10]
- Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Sholay (1976)
- Won – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Dada (1980)
- Won – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Yaarana (1982)
- Won – Filmfare Award for Best Comedian – Maa Kasam (1986)
BFJA Awards[11]
- Won – BFJA Award for Best Actor in Supporting Role – Sholay (1976)
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Nazneen | Credited as Amjad, child artist | |
| 1957 | Ab Dilli Dur Nahin | Lachhu | |
| 1961 | Maya | ||
| 1973 | Hindustan Ki Kasam | ||
| 1975 | Sholay | Gabbar Singh | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1976 | Charas | ||
| Ginny Aur Johnny | |||
| 1977 | Aafat | Shera | |
| Aakhri Goli | |||
| Chakkar Pe Chakkar | Avdhut | ||
| Hum Kisise Kum Naheen | Saudagar Singh | ||
| Kasam Khoon Ki | Bhajirao | ||
| Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein | Nattu | ||
| Parvarish | Mangal Singh | ||
| Ram Bharose | Bhanupratap | ||
| Shatranj Ke Khiladi | Wajid Ali Shah | ||
| Inkaar | Raj Singh 'Kidnapper' | ||
| 1978 | Apna Khoon | Khan | |
| Besharam | Digvijay Singh/Dharamdas | ||
| Bandie | Kanchan V. Singh | ||
| Bhookh | Thakur Harnam Singh | ||
| Des Pardes | Bhoot Singh/Avtar Singh | ||
| Ganga Ki Saugand | Thakur Jashwant Singh | ||
| Heeralal Pannalal | Panther | ||
| Kasme Vaade | Juda, the Hunchback | Guest appearance | |
| Khoon Ki Pukaar | Zalim Singh/Sardar | ||
| Muqaddar | |||
| Muqaddar Ka Sikandar | Dilawar | ||
| Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan | Kalandhar | ||
| Ram Kasam | |||
| Sawan Ke Geet | |||
| 1979 | Ahsaas | Pradeep Rai Choudhry | |
| Atmaram | |||
| Chambal Ki Raani | |||
| Dada | Fazlu | ||
| Do Shikaari | Zorro | ||
| Hamare Tumhare | Mr. Chaudhary, Sonia's Father | ||
| Hum Tere Aashiq Hain | Thakur Shamsher Singh | ||
| Lok Parlok | Ram Shastri/Boston Strangler/ Raman Raghav/Ram Ghulam |
||
| Meera | Badshah Akbar | ||
| Mr. Natwarlal | Vikram Singh | ||
| Raakhi Ki Saugandh | Jagganath 'Jagga'/Yahwar Pahwar Khan | ||
| Sarkari Mehmaan | |||
| Suhaag | Vikram Kapoor | ||
| 1980 | Bombay 405 Miles | Veer Singh | |
| Chambal Ki Kasam | |||
| Jwalamukhi | Daku Sher Singh | ||
| Khanjar | Prince/Swamiji | ||
| Lahu Pukarega | |||
| Lootmaar | Vikram | ||
| Pyaara Dushman | |||
| Qurbani | Inspector Amjad Khan | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| Ram Balram | Suleiman Seth | ||
| Yari Dushmani | Birju | ||
| 1981 | Anusandhan | ||
| Barsaat Ki Ek Raat | Kaliram H. Sahu | ||
| Chehre Pe Chehra | Kanhus, Martha's brother | ||
| Commander | Commander Singh | ||
| Dhuaan | Sunil's boss | ||
| Gehra Zakhm | |||
| Hum Se Badkar Kaun | Chandan/Bholaram | ||
| Jail Yatra | Kuldeep | ||
| Kanhaiyaa | Madhav Singh | ||
| Paanch Qaidi | |||
| Kaalia | Shahani Seth/Jaswant | ||
| Katilon Ke Kaatil | Black Cobra | ||
| Khoon Ka Rishta | |||
| Ladies Tailor | Nawab Amjad Khan | ||
| Laawaris | Ranvir Singh | ||
| Love Story | Havaldar Sher Singh | ||
| Maan Gaye Ustaad | Munna/Shera | ||
| Naseeb | Damu (Damodar) | ||
| Plot No. 5 | Inspector Khan | ||
| Professor Pyarelal | Ronnie/Ranjit Singh/Gomes | ||
| Rocky | Robert D'Souza | ||
| Shama | Dargah devotee | ||
| Waqt Ki Deewar | Thakur Ranvir Dayal Singh | ||
| Yaarana | Bishan | ||
| Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai | Sharif Khan/Sharafat Ali/Karamat Ali/ Salamat Ali/Wajahat Ali |
||
| 1982 | Satte Pe Satta | Ranjit Singh | |
| Baghawat | Maharaj Durjan Singh/ Maharaj Vikram Singh |
||
| Daulat | Joseph D'Souza/Tripathi | ||
| Desh Premee | Thakur Pratap Singh | ||
| Dharam Kanta | Chandan Singh/Jwala Singh | ||
| Insaan | |||
| Samraat | Ranbir | ||
| Teesri Aankh | Jabbar Singh | ||
| Taqdeer Ka Badshah | |||
| Teri Maang Sitaron Se Bhar Doon | Mohammed 'Sultan Bhai'/ Sultan Singh Rathod |
||
| 1983 | Achha Bura | Mohammad Sher Khan/ Kamalrup Chaurasiya 'Shera' |
|
| Bade Dil Wala | Bhagwat Singh (B.K.)/ Dr. Joshi |
||
| Chor Police | Barkhi Khan | ||
| Himmatwala | Sher Singh Bandookwala | ||
| Hum Se Hai Zamana | Iqbal/Thakur's son | ||
| Humse Na Jeeta Koi | Bheema Singh | ||
| Jaani Dost | Hari/Nooruddin/Harry | ||
| Mahaan | Vikram Singh | ||
| Nastik | Tiger | ||
| 1984 | Bindiya Chamkegi | Inspector Vijay A. Kumar | |
| Dhokebaaz | |||
| Kaamyaab | |||
| Tere Mere Beech Mei | A film by Dada Kondke | ||
| Maati Maange Khoon | Thakur Balram Singh | ||
| Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! | Kundan Kapadia | ||
| Pet Pyaar Aur Paap | |||
| Utsav | Vatsyayan | Nominated- Filmfare Best Comedian Award | |
| 1985 | Ameer Aadmi Gharib Aadmi | Akram | |
| Ee Lokam Ivide Kure Manushyar | Abbas | Malayalam film | |
| Ek Daku Saher Mein | Surjan Singh | ||
| Ek Se Bhale Do | Balram/Bhima | ||
| Maa Kasam | Chakradhari | Won- Filmfare Best Comedian Award | |
| Mera Saathi | Ram Kumar's play character | ||
| Mohabbat | Gamma Pehalwan | ||
| Pataal Bhairavi | Vishvanath Chanchal | ||
| 1986 | Andheri Raat Mein Diya Tere Haath Mein | Sultan | |
| Chameli Ki Shaadi | Advocate Harish | ||
| Jeeva | Sardar | ||
| Love and God | Kais' family servant | ||
| Mohabbat Ki Kasam | Baseera Singh | ||
| Nasihat | |||
| Pahunchey Huwe Log | |||
| Peechha Karo | Brigadier | ||
| Simhasanam | Telugu film | ||
| Singhasan | Kupateshwar | Simhasanam in Telugu | |
| Vikram | Sultan of Salamia | Tamil film | |
| Zindagani | Bhola | ||
| 1987 | Ahsaan | ||
| Insaniyat Ke Dushman | Pratap Singh | ||
| Jaago Hua Savera | |||
| Maashuka | |||
| Sitapur Ki Geeta | Thakur Pratap Singh | ||
| 1988 | Bees Saal Baad | Bhavani Baba | |
| Do Waqt Ki Roti | Tantia Bheel/Purshottam | ||
| Inteqam | |||
| Kabrastan | Nepolean D'Costa | ||
| Kanwarlal | John Jani Janardhan | ||
| Maalamaal | Suleiman Dada | ||
| Paanch Fauladi | Dilawar Khan, Fauladi No. 5 | ||
| Qatil | Badshah Akram Khan | ||
| The Perfect Murder | Lala Heera Lal | ||
| 1989 | Dost | Sher Singh | |
| Khuli Khidki | Dr. A.K. Jayant | ||
| Meri Zabaan | Inspector Malpani/ Arjun Vaswani |
||
| Naqab | Nawab Dada Sarkar | ||
| Santosh | Qaidi No. 333 | ||
| 1990 | Lekin... | Shafi Ahmed Sidiqqui | |
| Maha-Sangram | Bada Ghoda | ||
| Pati Patni Aur Tawaif | Sulaiman Dildar | ||
| 1991 | Love | Guruji | |
| Izzat | |||
| Ramgarh Ke Sholay | Gabbar Singh | ||
| Yaara Dildara | |||
| 1992 | Aasmaan Se Gira | Alien ruler | |
| Dil Hi To Hai | Maharaj Vikram Singh | ||
| Ele, My Friend | Omar | ||
| Saali Adhi Ghar Waali | |||
| Waqt Ka Badshah | |||
| Virodhi | Judge | ||
| 1993 | Bechain | ||
| In Custody | Babu's Musician | English Film | |
| Rudaali | Thakur Ram Avtar, Lakhsman's father | ||
| Bannada Gejje | Kannada film starring V Ravichandran | ||
| Prema Yuddham | Telugu film starring Nagarjuna Akkineni | ||
| 1994 | Do Fantoosh | Bajrang | |
| 1995 | Anokhi Chaal | ||
| 1996 | Aatank | Alphonso | |
| Hukumnama | |||
| Sautela Bhai | Thakur Narayandas |
See also
- List of Bollywood villains
References
- "Remember the old baddies?". MSN India. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- "Gabbar Singh". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- "Obituary: Amjad Khan". The Independent. 26 August 1992. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
The son of Zakaria Khan, a Pathan from the North-West Frontier Province and popular Bollywood character actor of the Fifties and Sixties (screen name Jayant), Khan was born in Bombay in 1940.
- "Amjad Khan Biography, Amjad Khan Profile - Filmibeat". Entertainment.oneindia.in. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- "Glucon D Bisuits Amjad Khan | Print Ads | MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share". Mbaskool.com. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- "Zafar Karachiwala, Ahlam Khan got married - The Times of India". The Times Of India. 23 September 2011.
- "Tragic Nostalgia". The Times of India. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ""I was confident my marriage would never break"". Filmfare. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- "Amitabh and the Goa Connect". The Navhind Times. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- "Amjad Khan". IMDb. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- "69th & 70th Annual Hero Honda BFJA Awards 2007". 19 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
External links
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