By Jagmohan Singh Barhok

On His Birth Anniversary

जाग दिल-ए -दीवाना रुत जागी वस्ल-ए -यार की
बसी हुई ज़ुल्फ़ में आई है सबा प्यार की

Influenced by the Hollywood cinema, especially Western style movies starring Clint Eastwood like “For a few Dollars More” and “The Good the Bad and the Ugly”, Feroz khan carved a nice niche for himself as a renowned producer-actor & director. His “Khote Sikkay” was Bollywood answer to Hollywood.

Like other Bollywood stars Feroz Khan, too, had a lean period in the tinsel town. He worked in several low- budget films in the 1950s & and 1960s like ‘Didi’ , ‘Ghar Ki Laaj’, ‘Reporter Raju’ and ‘Tarzan goes to India’. He was noticed in”Suhaagan” also starring Guru Dutt, Mala Sinha & Om Prakash and later Phani Majumdaar’s “Oonche log” where he was cast opposite Raaj Kumar and Ashok Kumar: the film won acclaim and adulation both from the cine-goers and critics. He came into the limelight with “Apraadh”(1972) followed by “Dharmatama” “Qurbani” , “Janbaaz” “Dayavan” & “Yalgaar” – all directed by him. His other notable films include -“Safar”, “Mela”, “Geeta Mera Naam” & “Nagin”. Some of his later films were musical hits.

Feroz Khan was fond of hunting and owned a license for the purpose. He was also fond of throwing lavish parties at his bungalow. Known as Clint Eastwood of India Khan had a charismatic personality . His son Fardeen Khan is also an actor and so are two brothers Sanjay and Akbar Khan. His daughter Laila Khan is an established painter. Fardeen is married to Natasha Madhwani, daughter of well known Bollywood actress of 1960s & 1970s -Mumtaz. Feroz Khan married Sundari Khan in 1965 and they divorced in 1985.

Khan won Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ” Aadmi Aur Insaan”. He introduced his son Fardeen in “Prem Aggan” (1998). Born this Day in 1939 in Bangalore.

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