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He’s the original Khan. One of the few actors, who flaunted his surname, in times when acquiring generic suffixes like Kapoor, Kumar and Khanna were mandatory to stardom. Right from the beginning, Feroz Khan wore his identity with elan. Even when he was doing C-grade thrillers and playing the second lead against established counterparts, it was hard to ignore the onslaught of his sex appeal. It was in the ’70s that the desi cowboy began to play out his vision of himself. Movies directed by him right from Apradh, Dharmatma, Qurbani, Janbaaz, Yalgaar to Janasheen, were all about unbridled machismo, racy car chases, revolver riots and alluring women. Though not works that call for critical acclaim, his films were representative of his buccaneer persona and his fascination for Western cinema’s dark riders. Rawhide boots, a hat that matched his swagger, an accent that disassociated with the native, Feroz Khan was India’s home-grown John Wayne. He wooed his heroines with abandoned passion and music that evoked erotica. Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi and Dimple Kapadia… were all presented with sass and sexiness as seen through the prism of his sensibilities. “When I portrayed sex on screen, it was never vulgar… You can’t see the most beautiful woman naked every day. A woman has her facets, her adas,” he was once quoted saying. Off screen too, he was flamboyant, flirtatious and a complete charmer known for his yen for the good life. Aversive to rules, routines and regimen, nothing in his life was scripted. In fact, Frank Sinatra’s song I will do it my way was what he lived by. He was someone who lived life king-size even as he was aware of the fleeting nature of things. “The tragedy is that nothing lasts. But the sunset is beautiful,” he had reportedly said in Khan-like bravado just a few months ago before he rode into the twilight…
(Clockwise) With Zeenat Aman in Qurbani, With Alok Nath and Vinod Khanna in Dayavan and With Mumtaz and Dharmendra in Aadmi Aur Insaan
PATHAN ANCESTRY
Born to a Pathan father (from the Ghazni province of Afghanistan) and mother with Persian roots, Feroz Khan, like his siblings inherited the exotic good looks of his parents. Young Feroz grew up in the lush expanse of Bangalore with his equally handsome brothers Sanjay Khan, Shahrukh Shah Ali Khan, Sameer Khan and Akbar Khan and beautiful sister Dilshad Bibi. He studied in Bishop Cotton Boys’ School and St Germain High School, Bangalore. Tales of his fascination for horses abounded even in those days. In fact, legend goes that he once rode a horse, borrowed from a carriage wallah, straight into the classroom, much to the chagrin of his teacher.
The second lead in the ’60s
Having no film connections, young Feroz found it tough to make a mark in Hindi films. He made his debut as second lead in Didi in 1960. Through the 1960s, he appeared in mediocre films opposite starlets in fantastical dramas, including Reporter Raju (Chitra), Samson (Ameeta), Ek Sapera Ek Lutera (Kum Kum) and Char Darvesh (Saeeda Khan). In the Guru Dutt-Mala Sinha starrer Bahurani he played the baddie. But, even in the trite movies, his sexiness was uncontainable as in the OP Nayyar song Chahe to jaan le lo from CID 909 where Mumtaz tries to seduce him. Mention must also be made of Raat Aur Din, where he played a suave socialite smitten by Nargis’ character. His first hit was Phani Majumdar’s Oonche Log in 1965, where he was pitted against Raaj Kumar and Ashok Kumar. His rakish charm was bang on. He then played the second lead to Rajendra Kumar in Ramanand Sagar’s Arzoo, to Sunil Dutt in the thriller Pyasi Shaam and brother Sanjay Khan in Mela and Upaasna. It was BR Chopra’s Aadmi Aur Insaan towards the end of the decade, in 1969, where he came into his own. As the capitalist, who turns vindictive against the employee he had helped groom, he manifested the right amount of arrogance and ire. It won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.
The suave ’70s
Feroz Khan outdid himself in Asit Sen’s Safar in 1970. Pitted against superstar Rajesh Khanna, Feroz as Sharmila Tagore’s husband, was a dark character. Suspicious yet sensitive, volatile yet vulnerable, he loses both in love and life… The song Jo tumko ho pasand filmed on Sharmila and him on the picturesque ghats won him a legion of female admirers. Khote Sikkay (1974) was the curry Western complete with horses and ponchos, a sort of a preview to the Feroz Khan we would be seeing in the following decade. His onscreen tryst with Danny Denzongpa, where they play avengers, was a precursor to the Jai-Veeru partnership, we were to witness in the epic Sholay a year later. Geeta Mera Naam (1974) again with Sunil Dutt and Shanker Shambhu (1976) with Vinod Khanna could be dubbed as samplers of the machismo maven he was soon to become. He was also part of the ensemble cast in Rajkumar Kohli’s smash hit Nagin (1976).
Feroz Khan with his brothers
AS A FILMMAKER
Feroz turned into a producer/director with Apradh (1970) opposite Mumtaz, the first of the FK International brand of movies. The film showcased the Grand Prix in Germany and grew famous for the funk-rock song Ae naujawan hai sab sung by Asha Bhosle and the duet Humare siva tumhare aur. He later directed the Godfather-inspired Dharmatma (1975), the first Indian film to be shot in Afghanistan and included the local horse sport Buzkashi. It cast Premnath in Marlon Brando’s role, while Feroz stepped into Al Pacino’s mould. It presented Hema Malini in a hitherto unseen glam avatar as the ravishing Reshma. The aerial shots of the rough terrain, won Kamal Bose the Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer. The songs Kya khoob lagti ho, Tere chehre mein woh jaadoo hai, Tumne kabhi kisise pyaar kiya hai are still popular. Qurbani (1980), apparently based on the Kirk Douglas movie The Master Touch, was the biggest hit of his career. The scene where a Mercedes Benz is smashed in the parking lot was perhaps a predecessor to the Rohit Shetty ‘carnama’ we witness today. The film also ushered in a disco revolution with Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan singing Aap jaisa koi to Biddu’s tunes. The song Laila O Laila featuring Zeenat Aman’s Bo Derek like bikini romp and Amjad Khan was a highlight. Hum tumhein chahte hain aise… filmed on Zeenat and Vinod Khanna against the setting sun was a lyrical pause in the actioner. He then directed Janbaaz (1986) about love and betrayal, life and drugs. Apparently, inspired by the Gregory Peck and Joseph Cotten starrer Duel In The Sun, it had good-looking actors, pulsating music and excellent cinematography. Sridevi swaying sensuously to Har kisi ko nahin milta in flaming chiffon was perhaps the actor’s first brush with stylised glamour. The film is also remembered for the passionate encounter between Anil Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in the stable. Dayavan (1988) was the remake of the South film Nayagan revolving around a benevolent don. The two-minute long kiss between Madhuri Dixit and Vinod Khanna in the film is now part of cinematic lore while the hit song Aaj phir tum pe was recently recreated for the film Hate Story 2.
Yalgaar (1992) starring Feroz Khan with Sanjay Dutt, Nagma, Kabir Bedi and Mukesh Khanna had two friends on the opposite sides of the law. Music by Channi Singh was a highlight with the song Baarish ka bahana hai being a chartbuster.
The millennium
He launched his son, Fardeen Khan’s, career with Prem Aggan (1998), which failed to light the box-office. After being honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, Feroz made a comeback with Janasheen in 2003, an average grosser, which also starred Fardeen and Celina Jaitley. It captured the World Mobike Championship in Melbourne. He starred alongside Fardeen again in Suparn Verma’s thriller Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (2005) and Anees Bazmee’s Welcome (2007) two years before he succumbed to cancer on April 27, 2009. He was buried in his hometown near Bangalore, next to his late mother, as was his wish. He’s survived by son Fardeen Khan and daughter Laila Khan, his children from ex-wife Sundari Khan. Fardeen is married to Natasha Madhwani, daughter of actress Mumtaz, with whom Feroz did a spate of films.
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