Amzad Khan (Gabbar Singh)

Amjad Khan

"Arre O' Sambha, Kitne Aadmi The"— is one of the most popular line of Bollywood mouthed.

Born:12 November 1940

Death:

27 July 1992

Height:
6ft 1 inch



Family:

2 Brothers: Inayat Khan and Imtiaz Khan

Wife:

Sheila Khan 1972 

3 Children

Son:

Shadaab Khan

Daughter:

Ahlam Khan

Son: 

Seemaab Khan

Early life

Born in Hyderabad to Muslim parents from Ghazni Afghanistan. He was the son of 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.
Khan did schooling at St Theresa's High School, Bandra. He attended R D National College, Bandra and was the General Secretary - the highest elected student body representative. He had already gained a reputation of being a heavyweight "dada" and was feared and respected.

Career:

Before Amjad came to films he was a theatre actor. His first film was as a child artist at the age of 17 in the film Ab Dilli Dur Nahin (1957). He had assisted K. Asif in the film Love and God in the late 1960s and had also made a brief appearance in the film which would have been his official film debut. But the film was left incomplete after K. Asif's death in 1971 and it ended up releasing in 1986. In 1973 he made his debut in Hindustan Ki Kasam.

In 1975 he was offered the role of a dacoit Gabbar Singh for the film Sholay (literally 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. His mannerisms and dialogues have become an integral part of Bollywood lexicon and had since spawned numerous parodies and spoofs. Sholay went on to become a blockbuster, and, as of yet, it is the highest grossing movie in India. Although the movie boasted an ensemble cast of superstars including Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan, he stole the thunder with his unorthodox and eerie dialogue delivery that was perfectly apposite to the total lack of empathy his character was supposed to convey. Even after thirty five years people fondly remember his dialogues and mannerisms. He later appeared in advertisements as Gabbar Singh endorsing Britannia Glucose Biscuits (Popularly knowns as "Gabbar Ki Asli Pasand"), and it was the first incidence of a villain being used to sell a popular product.

He also ventured into directing for a brief period in the 1980s directing and also starring in Chor Police (1983) ,which was a success and Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi (1985) which failed to do well at the box office.

He played  positive role opposite Amitabh Bachchan in "Yaarana" (1981) where he played Bachchan's character's best friend and also in "Laawaris" where he played Bachhan's father. In the art film "Utsav" (1984), he portrayed Vatsayana, the author of the Kama Sutra. 

In 1988 he appeared in the Merchant-Ivory English film "The Perfect Murder" as an underworld don. He also played comic characters in films such as "Qurbani"(1980) and "Chameli Ki Shaadi" (1986). In 1991, he again played Gabbar Singh in "Ramgarh Ke Sholay", a parody of the legendary film which also included a look-alike of Amitabh Bachchan and Dev Anand.

He also ventured into directing for a brief period in the 1980s directing and also starring in "Chor Police"(1983) and "Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi" (1985) but both films failed to do well at the box office.

Khan was also the recipient of the prestigious National Awards on numerous occasions, including for portraying Wajid Ali Shah.Besides other recognitions, Amjad Khan was conferred the  Filmfare Award on numerous occasions for the best villain.

Death:

In 1986, had met with a near fatal accident on the Bombay-Goa road, when he drove his car into a tree while trying to avoid a boulder. The drugs administered to him for treatment caused a serious weight problem for the rest of his life. 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 until 1996. His funeral procession passed from his house in Pali Hill to the Muslim Burial in Bandra East. All major movie stars at that time attended and could be seen walking through the narrow lanes of Bandra.

AWARDS

Filmfare Awards

1986 - Filmfare Award - Best Comedian/Comedienne for Maa Kasam (1985)

1982 - Filmfare Award - Best Supporting Actor for Yaarana (1981)

1980 - Filmfare Award - Best Supporting Actor for Dada (1979)





Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Performance In Comic Role(1985)
Movie: Utsav


Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actor In Supporting Role (1981)
Movie: Love Story


Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actor In Supporting Role (1980)
Movie: Qurbani


Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actor In Supporting Role (1975)
Movie: Sholay