Feroz Khan

Actor

Popular As Zulfikar Ali Shah Khan

Birthday September 25, 1939

Birth Sign Libra

Birthplace Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore, British India (present-day Karnataka, India)

DEATH DATE 2009-4-27, Bangalore, Karnataka, India (70 years old)

Nationality India

Height 6' (1.83 m)

#7044 Most Popular

1939

Feroz Khan (25 September 1939 – 27 April 2009), born Zulfiqar Ali Shah Khan, was an Indian actor, film editor, producer, and director best known for his work in Indian cinema.

He appeared in over 60 films throughout his career and became one of Bollywood's popular style icons.

Feroz Khan was born on 25 September 1939 in Bangalore, India, to "Sadiq Ali Khan Tanoli" - an Afghan Tanoli from Ghazni, Afghanistan, and his mother Fatima,who had Persian ancestry from Iran.

Khan was educated at Bishop Cotton Boys' School and St. Germain High School, Bangalore.

His brothers are Shah Abbas Khan (Sanjay Khan), Shahrukh Shah Ali Khan, Sameer Khan and Akbar Khan.

His sisters are Khurshid Shahnavar and Dilshad Begum Sheikh, popularly known as Dilshad Bibi.

1960

After his schooling in Bangalore, he traveled to Bombay (present-day Mumbai) where he made his debut as the second lead in Didi in 1960.

Through the early 1960s and 1970s, he made low-budget thrillers opposite starlets.

1962

In 1962, he appeared in an English-language film titled Tarzan Goes to India opposite Simi Garewal.

1965

Khan is known for his roles in films such as Arzoo (1965), Aurat (1967), Safar (1970), Mela (1971), Upaasna (1971), Apradh (1972), Khotte Sikkay (1974), Kala Sona (1975), Dharmatma (1975), Nagin (1976), Qurbani (1980), and Welcome (2007).

His first big hit was in 1965, with Phani Majumdar's Oonche Log (1965), where he was pitted against screen idols Raaj Kumar and Ashok Kumar; he gave a notable sensitive performance.

It was followed by more small budget hit films like Samson, Ek Sapera Ek Lootera and Char Darvesh.

Again, in the same year, he played a sacrificing lover in the mushy musical Arzoo, starring Sadhana.

With this, Khan started to receive A-list second leads.

Feroz Khan married Sundari Khan in 1965 and they divorced in 1985.

1969

With the film Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Khan won his first Filmfare award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

1970

He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Aadmi Aur Insaan in 1970, and was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

Khan has been called "the Clint Eastwood of the East".

They had two children, Laila Khan (born 1970) and Fardeen Khan (born 1974).

Fardeen is married to Natasha Madhwani, daughter of former Bollywood actress Mumtaz.

Mumtaz has stated in an interview that Feroz Khan was the most handsome hero in Hindi film industry.

1971

His other hit films were Safar, Khotey Sikkay, Geeta Mera Naam, Kaala Sona and Shankar Shambhu He appeared alongside his real-life brother Sanjay Khan in the hit films Upaasna (1971), Mela (1971) and Nagin (1976).

He became a successful producer and director in 1971 so as to improve his career opportunities as a leading man with his first directorial film Apradh, which was the first Indian movie showing auto racing in Germany; Mumtaaz was his co-star.

1974

He also starred in the Punjabi film Bhagat Dhanna Jat (1974).

1975

He produced, directed and starred in the 1975 film Dharmatma, which was the first Indian film to be shot in Afghanistan and was also his first blockbuster hit as producer, director and star and marked the appearance of actress Hema Malini in a glamorous avatar.

This movie was inspired by the Hollywood film The Godfather.

1980

In 1980, he produced, directed and starred in Qurbani, alongside Vinod Khanna and Zeenat Aman, which was the biggest hit of his career and launched the singing career of iconic Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan, with her memorable track "Aap Jaisa Koi".

1986

He also directed and acted in films such as Janbaaz (1986), Dayavan (1988), Meet Mere Man Ke (1991), Yalgaar (1992), Prem Aggan (1998), Janasheen (2003).

In 1986, he directed and starred in Janbaaz, a box office hit, which some consider to be one of his best movies, featured an all-star cast and possessed great songs and excellent cinematography.

1988

In 1988, he directed and starred in Dayavan, which was a remake of an Indian Tamil film titled Nayakan.

1991

In 1991, he starred in Meet Mere Man Ke, an outside production which was directed by Mehul Kumar.

1992

After directing and starring in Yalgaar (1992), he took a long break from acting for 11 years.

1998

He launched his son Fardeen Khan's career with the 1998 film Prem Aggan, which, however, was a box office bomb.

2003

In 2003, he produced and directed Janasheen, also starring alongside his son Fardeen.

This film marked his return to acting after 11 years and was also the last film he directed.

Apart from sports cars, he also used performing animals in his films — a chimpanzee and lion were used in Janasheen.

2005

He starred alongside his son again in an outside production Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena in 2005.

2007

He made his last film appearance in the 2007 comedy film Welcome.

2009

Feroz Khan died of lung cancer on 27 April 2009.

He was undergoing treatment at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, but expressed his desire to visit his farmhouse in Bangalore.