feroz khan

Feroz Khan (Hindi: फ़िरोज़ ख़ान, Urdu: فېروز خان) S(25 September 1939–27 April 2009) was an Indian actor, film editor, producer and director in the Hindi film industry. For his flamboyant style, with cowboyish swagger and cigar toting persona which revolutionised the style quotient of the otherwise conventional Bollywood hero, he is known as the Clint Eastwood of the East and a style icon in the industry.

He appeared in over 50 films in the 1970s and 1980s, and became one of India’s best-loved heroes with his role in the 1980 hit film Qurbani, which he also directed. Khan followed this multi-disciplinary achievement by directing more successful films like Dayavan (1988) and Janbaaz (1986). He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Aadmi Aur Insaan in 1970, and was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

Early life

Feroz Khan was born in Bangalore India. His father was Sadiq Ali Khan, who was an Pashtun and his mother (Fatima) came from Iran and was a member of the Parsee community of India. He was raised and educated in Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Bangalore and St. Germain’s Boys High School, Bangalore. His brothers are Sanjay Khan, Shahrukh Khan (business man)Sameer Khan and Akbar Khan (director). He has a sister Dilshad Bibi. After his schooling from Bangalore, he arrived in Mumbai where he made his debut as second lead in Didi in 1960.

Career

For the next five years, he was forced to play the second-to-last lead in most of the movies in which he appeared. Through the early 1960s and 1970s, he made low-budget thrillers opposite starlets. In 1962, he appeared in an English-language film titled Tarzan Goes to India opposite Simi Garewal. His first big hit was in 1965, with Phani Majumdar’s Oonche Log, where he was pitted against screen idols Raaj Kumar and Ashok Kumar, despite which he gave a notable sensitive performance . Again, in the same year, he played a sacrificing lover in the mushy musical Arzoo, starring Sadhana. With this, Khan earned his entry into A-list second leads. With the film Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Khan won his first Filmfare award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He also appeared alongside his real-life brother Sanjay Khan in the hit films Upaasna (1967), Mela (1971), and Nagin (1976).

He turned into a successful producer and director in 1971 so as to improve his career opportunities as a leading man with his first directorial film Apradh, which was the first Indian movie showing Car Race in Germany, and Mumtaaz was his co-star in the movie. He produced, directed, and starred in the 1975 film Dharmatma, which was the first Indian film to be shot in Afghanistan and was also his first blockbuster hit as producer, director, and star and marked appearance of actress Hema Malini in a glamourous avatar. This movie was inspired by the Hollywood film The Godfather.

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, he was a leading Bollywood star, directing and starring in many of his films. He also starred in the Punjabi film Bhagat Dhanna Jat (1974). The 1980 film Qurbani, with Zeenat Aman, was the biggest hit of his career and launched the singing career of iconic Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan, with her memorable track ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ In 1986, he directed and starred in Janbaaz, which was a box-office hit., which some consider to be one of his best movies, featured an all-star cast and was possessed of great songs and excellent cinematography. In 1988, he directed and starred in Dayavan, which was a remake of a South Indian film titled Nayagan. After directing and starring in Yalgaar (1992), he took a long break from acting for 11 years.

He launched his son Fardeen Khan’s career with the 1998 film Prem Aggan, which, however, was a box-office bomb. In 2003, he made his acting comeback as well as produced and directed Janasheen, which also starred his son Fardeen. He always used performing animals in his films—a chimpanzee and lion were used in Janasheen, but People for Animals (PFA) Haryana -[1] chairman Naresh Kadyan moved a complaint in the court of law at Faridabad for animal cruelty and legal action as per law against the producer, director, and actor. He starred alongside his son again in Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (2005) and made his last film appearance in Welcome (2007).

Feroz Khan was ahead of his time in terms of his unmatchable style, which reflected in his movies and music. His movies like Qurbani, Dharmatma are cult favourites in Hindi cinema. Though he was not considered a superstar, he would remain the immortal for several years to come.

In May 2006, Feroz Khan was blacklisted by then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf when he went there to promote his brother’s film, Taj Mahal. In an intelligence report submitted to the Musharraf, he was said to have gotten drunk and insulted Pakistani singer and anchor Fakhr-e-Alam and criticizing the country saying:

“I am a proud Indian. India is a secular country. The Muslims there are making lot of progress unlike in Pakistan. Our President is a Muslim and our Prime Minister a Sikh. Pakistan was made in the name of Islam, but look how the Muslims are killing Muslims here.”

Feroze khan denied the whole matter next day.

Pakistan’s high commission in India and the foreign and interior ministries were subsequently directed to deny Khan a visa in the future, although he denied ever making such comments and thanked the people of Pakistan for receiving Taj Mahal with enthusiasm.

Personal life

Feroz Khan has a son named Fardeen Khan. He also has a daughter Laila Khan is married with Ranjeet Singh.

Awards and nominations

• Filmfare Best Debut Award: Didi (1960)
• Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Aadmi Aur Insaan (1970)
• Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actor for International Crook (1974)
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001
• Filmfare Nomination as Best Villain for Janasheen (2003)
• Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008
• “Pride of the industry” at the Max Stardust Awards 2009.

Filmography

• Didi (1960)
• Main Shadi Karne Chala (1962)
• Tarzan Goes to India (1962) … Prince Raghu Kumar
• Bahurani (1963) … Vikram
• Suhagan (1964) … Shankar
• Char Dervesh (1964) … Qamar Bhakt
• Teesra Kaun (1965)
• Oonche Log (1965) … Rajnikant
• Ek Sapera Ek Lootera (1965) … Mohan/Vijay Pratap Singh
• Arzoo (1965) … Ramesh
• Tasveer (1966)
• Main Wohi Hoon (1966) … Vijay
• Woh Koi Aur Hoga (1967)
• Raat Aur Din (1967) … Dilip
• CID 909 (1967)
• Aurat (1967)
• Aag (1967) … Shanker
• Pyaasi Sham (1969) … Ashok
• Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969) … Jai Kishan/J.K.
• Safar (1970) … Shekhar Kapoor
• Mela (1971)
• Ek Paheli (1971) … Sudhir
• Upaasna (1971)
• Apradh (1972) … Ram Khana
• Kashmakash (1973)
• Kisan Aur Bhagwan (1974)
• Khhotte Sikkay (1974) … Horseback rider
• Geeta Mera Naam (1974)
• Bhagat Dhanna Jatt (1974) … Ramu
• Anjaan Raahen (1974) … Anand
• International Crook (1974) … SP Rajesh
• Rani Aur Lalpari (1975) … Gulliver
• Kala Sona (1975) … Rakesh
• Aa Jaa Sanam (1975) … Dr. Satish
• Dharmatma (1975) …. Ranbir
• Sharafat Chod Di Maine (1976)
• Qabeela (1976)
• Nagin (1976) … Raj
• Jadu Tona (1977) … Dr. Kailash
• Darinda (1977)
• Chunaoti (1980)
• Qurbani (1980) … Rajesh Kumar/Kailash Nath
• Khoon Aur Paani (1981)
• Kachche Heere (1982) … Nephew of Kamal Singh
• Janbaaz (1986) … Inspector Rajesh Singh
• Dayavan (1988) … Shankar Waghmare
• Meet Mere Man Ka (1991)
• Yalgaar (1992) … Rajesh Ashwini Kumar
• Prem Agan (1998) …
• Janasheen (2003) … Saba Karim Shah
• Chitappa (2005) … Raman
• Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (2005) … Jehangir Khan (Special Appearance)
• Om Shanti Om (2007) … as himself (Special Appearance)
• Welcome (2007) … Ranbir Dhanraj Xata (RDX)
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008) … Amitabh Bachchan

Death and Funeral

He succumbed to a battle with cancer in April 2009. During his illness he returned to rest at his farmhouse in Bangalore.

He was laid to rest in his beloved Bangalore near to his mother’s grave at Hosur Road Shia Kabristan with thousands in attendance included his close family, dear friends, and notable celebrities of Indian film industry. He was remembered for his larger than life presence, and excellence in cinema.