Bollywood Masala Mix
in 'Sholay'
Amjad Khan was an acclaimed Indian actor and director. He worked in over 130 films in his film career spanning nearly twenty years. He enjoyed iconic popularity for his villain roles in Hindi language films – he is most famous for playing the role of the dacoit Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975).
Amjad Khan was born in Hyderabad, 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. His family hails from Ghazni, the Pathan region of Afghanistan.
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.
In 1972, he married Sheila Khan, and the following year, she gave birth to their first child, Shadaab Khan, who acted in a few films. He also had a daughter Ahlam Khan and another son Seemaab Khan.
He was said to have an affair with actress Kalpana Iyer, who after his death didn't marry anyone.
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 film debut in Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973).
In 1975 he was offered the role of a dacoit Gabbar Singh for the film Sholay (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. "Arre O' Samba, Kitne Aadmi The"– is the most popular line of Bollywood ever mouthed
The movie Sholay is one of the all time blockbuster movies in India and one of the highest earners, and although the movie had a cast of superstars including Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra the most memorable character was considered to be that of Gabbar Singh. Amjad Khan later appeared in advertisements as Gabbar Singh endorsing Parle-G biscuits, and it was the first incidence of a villain being used to sell a popular product.
After the success of Sholay, Khan continued to play villain roles in many subsequent Hindi films in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s – superseding, in terms of popularity and demand, the earlier Indian actor, Ajit – portraying more sophisticated and urbane criminal bosses, mastermind of bank robberies, murders and conspiracies to seize power. He often acted as villain opposite Amitabh Bachchan as the hero.
Khan was also acclaimed for playing many other unconventional roles. In the critically acclaimed film Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), directed by Satyajit Ray, Khan played the helpless and deluded monarch Wajid Ali Shah, whose kingdom, Avadh, is being targeted by British colonialists from the British East India Company. He played his only positive roles opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Yaarana (1981) where he played Bachchan's character's best friend and in Laawaris as Amitabh'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.
Amjad was also the President of the Actor's GUILD association. As mentioned earlier, he had been a leader in college and was respected in the adult film industry too.He would intervene and negotiate disputes between actors and directors/producers. There was one such dispute in which Dimple Kapadia had agreed to play a role of a mother in a movie and later backed down. The entire film producer community tried to boycott her. Amjad did intervene on behalf of the actor's guild.
In 1976, he 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 a 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.
Amjad Khan was born in Hyderabad, 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. His family hails from Ghazni, the Pathan region of Afghanistan.
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.
In 1972, he married Sheila Khan, and the following year, she gave birth to their first child, Shadaab Khan, who acted in a few films. He also had a daughter Ahlam Khan and another son Seemaab Khan.
He was said to have an affair with actress Kalpana Iyer, who after his death didn't marry anyone.
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 film debut in Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973).
In 1975 he was offered the role of a dacoit Gabbar Singh for the film Sholay (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. "Arre O' Samba, Kitne Aadmi The"– is the most popular line of Bollywood ever mouthed
The movie Sholay is one of the all time blockbuster movies in India and one of the highest earners, and although the movie had a cast of superstars including Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra the most memorable character was considered to be that of Gabbar Singh. Amjad Khan later appeared in advertisements as Gabbar Singh endorsing Parle-G biscuits, and it was the first incidence of a villain being used to sell a popular product.
After the success of Sholay, Khan continued to play villain roles in many subsequent Hindi films in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s – superseding, in terms of popularity and demand, the earlier Indian actor, Ajit – portraying more sophisticated and urbane criminal bosses, mastermind of bank robberies, murders and conspiracies to seize power. He often acted as villain opposite Amitabh Bachchan as the hero.
Khan was also acclaimed for playing many other unconventional roles. In the critically acclaimed film Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), directed by Satyajit Ray, Khan played the helpless and deluded monarch Wajid Ali Shah, whose kingdom, Avadh, is being targeted by British colonialists from the British East India Company. He played his only positive roles opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Yaarana (1981) where he played Bachchan's character's best friend and in Laawaris as Amitabh'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.
Amjad was also the President of the Actor's GUILD association. As mentioned earlier, he had been a leader in college and was respected in the adult film industry too.He would intervene and negotiate disputes between actors and directors/producers. There was one such dispute in which Dimple Kapadia had agreed to play a role of a mother in a movie and later backed down. The entire film producer community tried to boycott her. Amjad did intervene on behalf of the actor's guild.
In 1976, he 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 a 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.
Over 70 films and documentaries focusing on diverse themes of women's issues, gay rights, terrorism and youth will be showcased at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) next month, connecting artists and filmmakers from the Indian subcontinent to American audiences.
The 18th annual NYIFF, which will run from May 7 to 12, will showcase 78 films, documentaries and shorts in 11 languages – English, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Bengali and Assamese.
The films will "focus on the themes of women's issues, lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), terrorism and children and teenagers grappling with realities of life," Aroon Shivdasani, Executive and Artistic Director of the not-for-profit arts organisation Indo-American Arts Council, which organises the film festival, told PTI in an interview.
Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Director and author of veteran actor Shashi Kapoor's biography "Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star", said the festival gives an opportunity to audiences in New York to experience cinematic excellence emanating from the subcontinent. "I am very excited with the line-up this year. There are some wonderful new directors that we have discovered and whose work we will be showcasing this year. The festival is an opportunity for people to experience some brilliant new work coming out of India," and the subcontinent, he said.
The festival will open with the US premiere of Ravi Jadhav's Marathi language film "Nude" and close with the New York premiere of director Hansal Mehta's Rajkummar Rao-starrer biopic on Islamic fundamentalist Omar Saeed Sheikh, "Omerta".
Other highlights of this year's festival include a tribute to Kapoor and actor Sridevi, who passed away in February, and a retrospective of the films by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Panel discussions on the film and television market in India and shooting films in New York state have also been planned.
Also premiering at the festival is "Breaking the Bee", a documentary which focuses on the rise and dominance of Indian-American children in spelling bees.
It follows four second-generation NRI children, ages 7 to 14, over the course of a year, or "bee season", as they train to reach and win the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Chhabra, who travels extensively to film festivals across the world, said the NYIFF showcases films that may sometimes get lost and not reach audiences.
"It is exciting to get a new crop of films that we have discovered over the months and bring it to the festival," he said.
The festival will also showcase Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi films.
Shivdasani added that the festival has always aimed at being inclusive and diverse, showcasing a variety of work from artists hailing from India and other nations.
"The NYIFF was initially an Indian diaspora film festival but it has grown over the years to become a larger festival. We hope to continue showing more relevant films from the subcontinent on pressing issues to audiences in New York," he said.
Shivdasani called for more government support and financial assistance, in India and the US, for such film festivals, to enable the NYIFF to bring in more artistes and movie makers from across the world and help them showcase their work to a global audience.
The 18th annual NYIFF, which will run from May 7 to 12, will showcase 78 films, documentaries and shorts in 11 languages – English, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Bengali and Assamese.
The films will "focus on the themes of women's issues, lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), terrorism and children and teenagers grappling with realities of life," Aroon Shivdasani, Executive and Artistic Director of the not-for-profit arts organisation Indo-American Arts Council, which organises the film festival, told PTI in an interview.
Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Director and author of veteran actor Shashi Kapoor's biography "Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star", said the festival gives an opportunity to audiences in New York to experience cinematic excellence emanating from the subcontinent. "I am very excited with the line-up this year. There are some wonderful new directors that we have discovered and whose work we will be showcasing this year. The festival is an opportunity for people to experience some brilliant new work coming out of India," and the subcontinent, he said.
The festival will open with the US premiere of Ravi Jadhav's Marathi language film "Nude" and close with the New York premiere of director Hansal Mehta's Rajkummar Rao-starrer biopic on Islamic fundamentalist Omar Saeed Sheikh, "Omerta".
Other highlights of this year's festival include a tribute to Kapoor and actor Sridevi, who passed away in February, and a retrospective of the films by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Panel discussions on the film and television market in India and shooting films in New York state have also been planned.
Also premiering at the festival is "Breaking the Bee", a documentary which focuses on the rise and dominance of Indian-American children in spelling bees.
It follows four second-generation NRI children, ages 7 to 14, over the course of a year, or "bee season", as they train to reach and win the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Chhabra, who travels extensively to film festivals across the world, said the NYIFF showcases films that may sometimes get lost and not reach audiences.
"It is exciting to get a new crop of films that we have discovered over the months and bring it to the festival," he said.
The festival will also showcase Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi films.
Shivdasani added that the festival has always aimed at being inclusive and diverse, showcasing a variety of work from artists hailing from India and other nations.
"The NYIFF was initially an Indian diaspora film festival but it has grown over the years to become a larger festival. We hope to continue showing more relevant films from the subcontinent on pressing issues to audiences in New York," he said.
Shivdasani called for more government support and financial assistance, in India and the US, for such film festivals, to enable the NYIFF to bring in more artistes and movie makers from across the world and help them showcase their work to a global audience.
Deepika Padukone is the only Indian actress to be feature on a leading international magazine's 100 Influential People of 2018 List. Humbled by the honour the actress feels she has achieved something in life.
Overwhelmed by the honour Deepika Padukone shared, "Honestly, I’ve never really believed in self-acknowledgment. Instead, I have always looked ahead [in life]. But I must admit that today, I do feel a small sense of achievement. It is humbling to be acknowledged for the work that you do, and so, it’s my absolute honour to be part of this prestigious list alongside such incredible achievers." Her 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' co-star Vin Diesel wrote a message of appreciation for Deepika in the magazine too.
The list, now in its fifteenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.
Bollywood's leading lady, Deepika Padukone brought in 2018 with the magnum opus, period film 'Padmaavat'. The film’s phenomenal box office success reinstated Deepika’s position at the top of the marquee. In the current scenario, Deepika commands the title of being the most commercially viable actress in the industry, in addition to being touted as the highest paid actress. She also enjoys the epithet of being the most followed Asian woman on social media.
The Bangalore girl, Deepika has also brought about a social change as she became the first actress to publicly address the condition of mental illness and her suffering from depression. The actress currently has been working towards creating awareness and supporting mental illness with her NGO, The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLF).
Overwhelmed by the honour Deepika Padukone shared, "Honestly, I’ve never really believed in self-acknowledgment. Instead, I have always looked ahead [in life]. But I must admit that today, I do feel a small sense of achievement. It is humbling to be acknowledged for the work that you do, and so, it’s my absolute honour to be part of this prestigious list alongside such incredible achievers." Her 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' co-star Vin Diesel wrote a message of appreciation for Deepika in the magazine too.
The list, now in its fifteenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.
Bollywood's leading lady, Deepika Padukone brought in 2018 with the magnum opus, period film 'Padmaavat'. The film’s phenomenal box office success reinstated Deepika’s position at the top of the marquee. In the current scenario, Deepika commands the title of being the most commercially viable actress in the industry, in addition to being touted as the highest paid actress. She also enjoys the epithet of being the most followed Asian woman on social media.
The Bangalore girl, Deepika has also brought about a social change as she became the first actress to publicly address the condition of mental illness and her suffering from depression. The actress currently has been working towards creating awareness and supporting mental illness with her NGO, The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLF).