Feroz Khan was an actor-producer-director- editor of Hindi Cinema. So present herewith is a just a small tribute to the Late Feroz Khan.
To start off Feroz Khan was known for his flamboyant style, with cow boyish swagger & cigar toting persona; this revolutionized the style quotient of the otherwise conventional “Filmy” hero. He was also known as the style icon of Bollywood.
Firoz Khan had appeared in over 50 films in the 1960s, 1970s & 1980s, and became one of India’s Best-Loved heroes with his role in the 1980’s hit film Qurbani, which he had also directed. Firoz Khan followed this multi-disciplinary achievement by directing more successful films like Dayavan (1988) & Janbaaz (1986). He had 1st won the Black Lady namely the Filmfare “Best Supporting Actor” award for Aadmi Aur Insaan in 1970 and was also honored with the Filmfare “Lifetime Achievement” award in 2000.
A little peekaboo in his earlier life will not be out of place at this juncture. Firoz Khan was born on 25th Sept, 1939 in Bangalore, India, to an Afghan immigrant. His father belonged to Tanoli Tribe of Pathan ethnicity from the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, while his mother was of Persian background.
Firoz Khan was educated in Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Bangalore & St. Germain High School, Bangalore. His brothers are Sanjay Khan (Abbas Khan), Shahrukh Shah Ali Khan, Sameer Khan & Akbar Khan. His sisters are Khurshid Shahnavar & Dilshad Begum Sheikh, popularly known as Dilshad Bibi. After his schooling in Bangalore, he headed straight to the Mekkah of Bollywood where he made his debut as a 2nd lead in a film called Didi in the year 1960.
Firoz Khan had smoothly made the beginning of his filmy career and thereafter it was a smoot sailing as far as his filmy career is concerned. Through the early 1960s & 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. Incidentally speaking his 1st big hit was in 1965, with Phani Majumdar’s Oonche Log, where he was pitted against screen idols Raaj Kumar & Ashok Kumar in which he had given a notably sensitive performance. But sadly enough this was followed by some more small budget hit films like Samson, Ek Sapera Ek Lutera, Char Darvesh et al. But then again, in the same year, he had enacted the role of a sacrificing lover in the mushy musical movie Arzoo, starring Sadhana. With this movie Firoz Khan earned his entry into the A-list of 2nd leads. With the film Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Firoz Khan won his debut Filmfare award for “Best Actor” in a Supporting Role. His other hit films of those times were Khotey Sikkay, Geeta Mera Naam, Pyasi Sham, Shankar Shambhu & Safar. Firoz Khan had also appeared alongside his real-life brother Sanjay Khan in some of the superhit films like Upaasna (1967), Mela (1971) & Nagin (1976).
Later on had turned into a successful producer & director in the year of 1971 so as to improve his career opportunities as a leading man with his 1st directorial film Apradh, which also happened to be the 1st Indian movie showing auto racing in Germany; Mumtaaz was his co-star. Firoz Khan had also produced, directed and starred in the 1975 film superhit Dharmatma, which also happened to be the 1st Indian film to be shot in Afghanistan and was also his 1st ever blockbuster hit as a producer, director and star and had also marked the appearance of Drean Girl Hema Malini in a glamorous avatar. This movie was inspired by the Hollywood film The Godfather.
To continue further, throughout the late 1970s & 1980s, he was a leading Bollywood star, directing & starring in many of his films. Thereafter he had also starred in the Punjabi film Bhagat Dhanna Jat (1974). But the 1980 film Qurbani, with Zeenat Aman, was the biggest hit of his career and had also launched the singing career of the iconic Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan, with her memorable track “Aap Jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye”. In 1986, Firoz Khan had also directed & starred in Janbaaz, another film which was declared a superhit film at the Box-Office turnstiles, which some considered it to be one of his Best Movie. It featured an all-star cast and was possessed of great songs & excellent cinematography. In 1988, Firoz Khan had directed & starred in Dayavan, which was a remake of a South Indian film titled Nayagan. After directing & starring in Yalgaar (1992), Firoz Khan had taken a long break from acting for an unbelievable 11 years.
Firoz Khan had then made his comeback as a filmmaker in Bollywood by launching his son Fardeen Khan’s career with the 1998 film Prem Aggan, which had, however, proved to be a Bomb at Box-Office turnstiles. And In 2003, he had made his acting comeback as well as produced & directed Janasheen, which had also starred his son Fardeen Khan. By the way he had always used performing animals in his films, like a chimpanzee & a lion were used in Janasheen, but People for Animals (PFA) Haryana chairman Naresh Kadyan had moved a complaint in the court of law at Faridabad for animal cruelty and a legal action as per law against the producer, director & actor.
Once again Firoz Khan had starred alongside his son Fardeen Khan in a film called Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (2005) and had made his last film appearance in Welcome (2007). Welcome has been one of the Best Comedy films made in recent time in which he had worked with Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor & Katrina Kaif. And of course Welcome was also declared as a blockbuster movie that year at the Box-Office turnstiles.
In realty Feroz Khan was always ahead of his time in terms of his unmatchable style, which had reflected in his movies & music. His movies like Qurbani & Dharmatma are the cult favorite films in Hindi cinema.
Now this was a shocker as in May, 2006, Feroz Khan was blacklisted by the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf when he went there to promote his brother’s film, Taj Mahal. In an intelligence report submitted to Musharraf, he was said to have gotten drunk & insulted Pakistani singer & anchor Fakhr-E-Alam and criticising the country by averring, “I am a proud Indian. India is a secular country. The Muslims there are making a lot of progress unlike in Pakistan. Our President is a Muslim & our Prime Minister a Sikh. Pakistan was made in the name of Islam, but look how the Muslims are killing Muslims here.”
Pakistan’s high commission in India and the foreign & interior ministries were subsequently directed to deny Feroz Khan a visa in the future.
Time to know just a little bit about Feroz Khan’s personal life. He had married Sundari Khan in 1965, but divorced her in 1985. They had 2 children, Laila Khan (born in 1970) & Fardeen Khan (born in 1974). Fardeen Khan was married to Natasha Madhwani, daughter of former Bollywood actress Mumtaz. He also has a granddaughter named Diani Isabella Khan born on 12th Dec, 2013 and a grandson named Zaan Funiturewala born on 9th Mar, 2015.
And then it was curtains down for Firoz Khan as he died as a result of lung cancer on 27th Apr, 2009 at the age of 69 in Bangalore.
As mentioned earlier Firoz Khan had finally succumbed to a battle with lung cancer on 27th Apr, 2009. During his illness he had returned to rest at his farmhouse in Bangalore.
Ultimately he was laid to rest in his beloved Bangalore near to his mother’s grave at Hosur Road Shia Kabristan with 1000’s in attendance which included his close family, dear friends and also notable celebrities of Indian film industry. Till this date he is remembered for his larger than life presence & excellence in cinema.
As a parting shot present herewith is Firoz Khan’s all time career achievements: He had won accolades and several awards namely Filmfare “Best Supporting Actor” award for Aadmi Aur Insaan (1971), Bangalore Film Journalist Award (BFJA) for “Best Supporting Actor” for Aadmi Aur Insaan (1971), Filmfare Nomination as “Best Supporting Actor” for Safar (1971), Filmfare Nomination as “Best Supporting Actor” for International Crook (1975), Filmfare “Lifetime Achievement” Award (2001), Filmfare Nomination as “Best Villain” for Janasheen (2004), IIFA Award for “Best Performance” in a Negative Role in 2004, Zee Cine Award for “Lifetime Achievement” in 2008 & “Pride Of The industry” at the Max Stardust Awards 2009.
In the end it is time have a glimpse of his Filmography which includes as an actor: Didi (1960), Main Shadi Karne Chala (1962), Reporter Raju (1962), Tarzan Goes To India (1962), Bahurani (1963), Suhagan (1964), Char Dervesh (1964), Oonche Log (1965), Raat Andheri Thi (1965), Ek Sapera Ek Lootera (1965), Arzoo (1965), Tasveer (1966), Main Wohi Hoon (1966), Woh Koi Aur Hoga (1967), Raat Aur Din (1967), CID 909 (1967), Aurat (1967), Aag (1967), Nadir Shah (1968), Pyaasi Sham (1969), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Safar (1970), Mela (1971), Ek Paheli (1971), Upaasna (1971), Apradh (1972), Kashmakash (1973), Kisan Aur Bhagwan (1974), Khhotte Sikkay (1974), Geeta Mera Naam (1974), Ghar Ki Laaj (1960), Bhagat Dhanna Jatt (1974), Anjaan Raahen (1974), International Crook (1974), Rani Aur Lalpari (1975), Kala Sona (1975), Aa Jaa Sanam (1975), Dharmatma (1975), Sharafat Chod Di Maine (1976), Qabeela (1976), Shanker Shambu (1976), Nagin (1976), Jadu Tona (1977), Darinda (1977), Chunaoti (1980), Qurbani (1980), Khoon Aur Paani (1981), Kachche Heere (1982), Janbaaz (1986), Dayavan (1988), Meet Mere Man Ka (1991), Yalgaar (1992), Prem Agan (1998), Janasheen (2003), Chitappa (2005), Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena – Special Appearance(2005), Om Shanti Om – Special Appearance(2007) & Welcome (2007) – as a director & producer: Apradh (1972), Dharmatma (1975), Qurbani (1980), Janbaaz (1986), Dayavan (1988), Yalgaar, Prem Agan (1998)
& Janasheen (2003)
