Actors - Amjad Khan

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	Actors - Amjad Khan

Amjad Khan (12 November 1940–27 July 1992) was an acclaimed Indian actor. He enjoyed an iconic popularity for his villain roles in Hindi language films — he is most famous for playing dacoit Gabbar Singh in Sholay
(1975).

Amjad Khan was born in Hyderabad in 1940 to legendary actor Jayant and brother of Imtiaz. In 1957, he was cast in the movie Ab Dili Dur Nahin, as a child artist. In around 1972, he married Sheila Khan, and the following year, she gave birth to their first child, Shadaab Khan, who only acted in a few films. He also had a daughter Ahlam Khan and son Seemaab Khan. Before Amjad came to films he was a theatre actor. He had assisted K. Asif in the film Love and God and also done a bit role in the film. In 1973, he made his debut in Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973).

Sholay

In 1975 he was offered the role of a dacoit Gabbar Singh for the film Sholay
(meaning flames) by Salim who was the film's writer. For his preparation for the role Amjad read Abhishapth Chambal, a book on Chambal dacoits written by Taroon Coomar (actress Jaya Bhaduri's father). Amjad shot into 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 an iconic status.

Career

Khan reprised the genre of a villain in many subsequent Hindi films — succeeding 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.

Khan was also a versatile actor acclaimed for different roles. In Utsav (1986), Khan portrayed Vatsayana, the author of the Kama Sutra. He played a comic character who facilitates the union of two lovers in Chameli Ki Shaadi in the early 1986. In the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi
, directed by Satyajit Ray, Khan plays the helpless and deluded monarch Wajid Ali Shah, whose kingdom of Avadh is being targeted by British colonialists from the British East India Company. Khan had suffered serious leg injuries in a car accident, and informed Ray that he was declining the role in order to let the production continue while Khan recuperated. But Ray rejected the idea and delayed filming, insistent that Khan portray Wajid Ali Shah. In 1991, he again played Gabbar Singh in Ramgarh Ke Sholay, a parody of the legendary film which included a look-alike of Dev Anand.

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

In 1976, he 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 caused a serious weight problem. The films he got after that were mostly only comedy roles.

In 1992, Amjad Khan passed away, after suffering from heart failure at the age of 51.

Filmography

Shatranj Ke Khiladi
(1977)
Sholay
(1975)
Satte Pe Satta

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