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Amjad Khan
Amjad Khan born on 12 November, 1940 was an applauded Indian actor and director. He worked in over 130 films in a livelihood straddling almost twenty years.

He enjoyed fame for his villainous characters in Hindi films, the most renowned being the memorable Gabbar Singh in the 1975 standard Sholay and of Dilawar in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978).

He gambled into directing for a short era in the 1980s directing and starring in Chor Police (1983), which was a triumph, and Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi (1985) which botched to do well at the box office.


Date Of Birth : November 12, 1940,
Place Of Birth: Hyderabad, India
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

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  • Khan was born in Quetta to Muslim parents. He was the son of renowned actor Jayant.

  • . He was the brother of fellow performer Imtiaz Khan and Inayat Khan who acted in one movie. In 1957, he was cast in the film Ab Dili Dur Nahin.

  • Khan did his schooling at St Theresa's High School, Bandra. He attended R D National College, Bandra and was the common secretary to the chief elected student body envoy.

  • He had previously gained a status of being a heavyweight "dada" and was a terror and cherished.

Ab Dilli Dur Nahin

Before Amjad came to movies he was a theatre actor. His initial role was at the age of 17 in the film Ab Dilli Dur Nahin (1957). He made appearances in small roles with father Jayant in a few movies. He supported K. Asif in Love and God in the late 1960's and had made a concise appearance in the movie. The movie was left incomplete after Asif's death in 1971, and it ended up releasing in 1986. In 1973 he made his first appearance as an adult in Hindustan Ki Kasam.

Sholay

IIn 1975 he was offered the character of dacoit Gabbar Singh for the movie Sholay (accurately meaning flames) by Salim who was one of its writers. For training for the character, 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 film.

Gabbar Singh

His depiction of Gabbar Singh is measured by many to be the first depiction of pure evil on the screen in Indian Cinema: a completely evil character that doesn't make reasons for his evil. His mannerisms and dialogues have become a vital part of Bollywood lexicon and spawned several parodies and spoofs. Sholay went on to become a chartbuster.Although it boasted a group cast of superstars counting Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar, he wraps the thunder with his unorthodox and supernatural dialogue delivery that was flawlessly apposite to the total lack of sympathy his character was supposed to express.

Villain Roles

After the victory of Sholay, Khan sustained to play villain roles in many following Hindi films in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s � overriding, in conditions of popularity and stipulate, the former Indian actor, Ajit � portraying more classy and refined criminal bosses, instigator of bank robberies, murders and conspiracies to grab hold of power. He habitually acted as villain differing Amitabh Bachchan as the hero.

Shatranj Ke Khiladi

Khan was also celebrated for playing many eccentric roles. In the decisively acclaimed movie Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977) (based on the novel of the similar title) by Munshi Premchand and directed by Satyajit Ray, Khan played the feeble and deceived monarch Wajid Ali Shah, whose kingdom, Avadh, is being besieged by British colonialists from the British East India Company. It is the only film in which he dubbed a song.

Yaarana

He played many optimistic roles in movies such as Yaarana (1981) and Laawaris (1981) as Amitabh's friend and father correspondingly. In the art movie Utsav (1984), he depicted Vatsayana, the author of the Kama Sutra. In 1988 he emerged in the Merchant-Ivory English film The Perfect Murder as a criminal world don.

Qurbani

He shined at playing humorous characters in movies such as Qurbani (1980), Love Story, and Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986). In 1991, he reprised his position as Gabbar Singh in Ramgarh Ke Sholay, a parody of the renowned film which incorporated look-alikes of Dev Anand and Amitabh Bachchan.

  • Even today citizens fondly keep in mind his dialogues and mannerisms.


  • He afterward materialized in advertisements as Gabbar Singh approving Britannia Glucose Biscuits (commonly recognized as "Gabbar Ki Asli Pasand"), and it was the initial incidence of a villain being used to sell a well-liked product.



  • In 1986, Khan had near-fatal calamity on the Bombay-Goa road, when he drove his car into a tree while trying to evade a boulder. The drugs given to him caused a stern weight problem for the rest of his life.


  • As a result of his ever-increasing weight, he died in 1992 after anguishing from heart collapse at the age of 51. Quite a lot of of the films he finished were unconfined after his death, right until 1996.


  • His funeral march passed from his dwelling in Pali Hill to the Muslim Burial in Bandra East. It was attended by all chief movie stars at that time.



  • In 1972, he wedded Shehla Khan; the subsequent year, she gave birth to their first child, Shadaab Khan, who acted in a few movies.


  • He also had a daughter Ahlam Khan and one more son Seemaab Khan.


  • Amjad was the president of the Actors Guild organization. He was esteemed in the film industry. He would intercede and confer disputes among actors and directors/producers.


  • One such argument rose when Dimple Kapadia decided to play a mother role and later on backed down. The complete movie producer community tried to boycott her. Amjad interceded on behalf of the Actors Guild.