Even after years of 'Sholay', 'Gabbar Singh',a.k.a., Amjad Khan is the most loved villain of Bollywood.
Yahan se pachas pachas kos door gaon mein … jab bachcha raat ko rota hai, toh maa kehti hai bete so ja … so ja nahi toh Gabbar Singh aa jayega.
Dressed in a khaki suit and armed with a belt, when the most dreaded dacoit of the country with curly hair and black teeth delivered this dialogue on a 70 mm screen, it sent shivers down my father’s spine who was then barely eight.
1. Life before cinema
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Born to actor Jayant (Zakaria Khan) in undivided India’s Peshawar, in 1940, Khan belonged to a Pashtun family.
Khan was a bright student who completed his schooling from St Andrew’s High School in Mumbai and got into R D National College. While at college, Khan was active in his college’s political scene, getting elected as a Student Body President.
After completing his Masters in Philosophy from Bombay University (now Mumbai University), Khan joined the world of theatre to give a chance to his passion for acting that he had imbibed from his father.
2. Not the first choice as Gabbar Singh in Sholay
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Can you imagine anyone else ace those dialogues while chewing tobacco in the magnum opus? Though actor Danny Denzongpa had bagged the role of Gabbar, another commitment forced him to give the role up.
It is said that the film’s writers, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, developed a new lingo or the character of Gabbar. No wonder both, Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan were ready to shed their ‘hero’ image to play the vicious villian.
3. The Family Man
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Khan and his love interest Shehla, daughter of the late writer and lyricist Akhtar-ul-Iman, lived in the same building in Bandra, Mumbai.
She was merely fourteen when Khan, who was then doing his Bachelors, fell for her. According to Filmfare, he even sent a marriage proposal which was rejected as she was too young.
Their romance continued in true movie fashion through letters when Shehla was sent to Aligarh for studies. And, this particular love story saw a happy fate when the two lovebirds got married in 1972.
Khan and Shehla had three children and the day their eldest son, Shadaab, was born, Khan signed Sholay. Despite being busy with movies, sometimes shooting multiple movies in one day, Khan always made time for his children just like any doting father.
Though Khan passed away before Shadaab made his onscreen debut in the movie Raja ki Aayegi Baarat, Khan made sure his son did not become a product of nepotism. He always encouraged Shadaab to write his own destiny and leave his ‘ego’ at home.
4. The Versatile Actor
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Throughout his professional journey, Amjad Khan portrayed many roles with panache and ease.
Whether it was risking his business and family life as Bishan for his childhood friend Kishan (played by Bachchan) in the superhit movie Yaarana or playing the funny policeman in Kumar Gaurav’s Love Story, Khan never shied away from stepping outside his comfort zone.
One of his most powerful and memorable performances was in Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), where he plays Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, an artist, poet, and a sympathetic character.
5. The unfortunate accident
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Amjad and his wife, Shehla were on their way to Goa for the outdoor shoot of The Great Gambler in 1976 when they had met with an accident, which had a long-term side-effect on the actor's health. On that morning, their driver was driving the car and as he was driving all night, Amjad had decided to give him some rest and drive on his own. The moment he went on to flip a cassette, the accident had happened and the next thing they knew, they were in a pool of blood.
During the time of the accident, Shehla was six months pregnant with their daughter, Ahlam. After the accident, her multiple bones were broken, and her face was smashed. She had even suffered temporary amnesia and had kept asking who she was and where was she going.
6. Amjad Khan's Death
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Nobody in the Khan family knew what is in store for them on July 27, 1992. They had a very regular day and Amjad had to meet someone at seven in the evening. He went to his room to get ready and what happened next was shocking. Recalling the unfortunate day, Shehla had said:
“He went up to change. At 7.20 pm, Shadab came down running saying, ‘Daddy’s gone cold, he’s sweating’. Amjad had fainted. Within minutes he was gone. Amjad always used to say, ‘I’ll go easily’. There was not a single crease on his forehead. He looked peaceful.”
