Amjad Khan

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For the cricket player, see Amjad Khan (cricketer)

Amjad Khan (top), Sholay (1975)

Amjad Khan (12 November 1940 – 27 July 1992) was an acclaimed Indian actor. He worked in over 130 films in his film career spanning nearly twenty years. He enjoyed iconic popularity for his villain roles in Hindi language films — he is most famous for playing the role of the dacoit Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975).

1 Early life
2 Career
3 Selected Filmography
4 External links

[edit] Early life

Amjad Khan was born in Hyderabad in 1940 to legendary actor Jayant. He was the brother of fellow actor Imtiaz Khan and Inayat Khan who only acted in one film. In 1957, he was cast in the movie Ab Dili Dur Nahin, as a child artist. Around 1972, he married Sheila Khan, and the following year, she gave birth to their first child, Shadaab Khan, who acted in a few films only. He also had a daughter Ahlam Khan and son Seemaab Khan.

[edit] Career

Before Amjad came to films he was a theatre actor. He had assisted K. Asif in the film Love and God and had also done a bit role in the film but the film was left incomplete and released over a decade later. In 1973, he made his debut in Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973).

Amjad Khan (left), Sholay (1975)

In 1975 he was offered the role of a dacoit Gabbar Singh for the film Sholay (meaning flames) by Salim who was one of the film's writers. For his 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 on the screen in Indian Cinema; a totally evil character who doesn't make excuses for its evil.

The movie Sholay is one of the all time superhit movies in India and one of the highest earners, and although the movie had a cast of superstars including Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra the most memorable character was that of Gabbar Singh. Amjad Khan appeared in advertisements as Gabbar Singh endorsing Brittania biscuits, and it was the first incidence of a villain being used to sell a popular product. The music of Sholay wasn't as successful as expected, hence the producers decided to release audio cassettes of dialogues and entire film sequences. This move was successful and is one of the reasons for the character of Gabbar Singh and his dialogues to gain iconic status.

After the success of Sholay Khan continued to play villain roles in many subsequent Hindi films — superseding, in terms of popularity and demand, the earlier Indian actor, Ajit — portraying more sophisticated and urbane criminal bosses, mastermind of bank robberies, murders and conspiracies to seize power. He often acted as villain opposite Amitabh Bachchan as the hero.

Khan was also a versatile actor acclaimed for playing different roles in contrast to his villain roles. In the critically acclaimed film Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), 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. In the art film Utsav (1984), he portrayed Vatsayana, the author of the Kama Sutra. He also played comic characters in films such as Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986). In 1991, he again played Gabbar Singh in Ramgarh Ke Sholay, a parody of the legendary film which included a look-alike of Amitabh Bachchan and Dev Anand.

Khan was awarded the Filmfare Award many times for playing the best villain, or the best male actor in a supporting role. Khan was also the recipient of the prestigious National Awards on numerous occasions, including for portraying Wajid Ali Shah.

In 1976, he had met with a near fatal accident on the Bombay-Goa road, when he drove his car to a tree while trying to avoid a boulder. The drugs administered to him for treatment caused a serious weight problem. As a result of his increasing weight he died in 1992 after suffering from heart failure at the age of 51.

Several of the films he had completed when he was alive were released after his death - right uptil 1996.