Feroz Khan was a stylish actor of Bollywood who had been working as a film editor, producer and also director later on. He was also in love with horses, and fascinated with the classic Hollywood Western film, a fact that influenced his filmmaking hugely. He was popular for his style and dressing sense. Afghanistan was a common factor in most of his films. After `Didi` for the next five years he played the second lead in most of the movies.
Early Life of Feroz Khan
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, 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. After his schooling in Bangalore, he travelled to Bombay where he made his debut as second lead in Didi in 1960.
Career of Feroz Khan
Through the early 1960s he was cast in low-budget thrillers opposite starlets. He also appeared in an English-language film titled Tarzan Goes to India in 1962 opposite Simi Garewal. His first big hit was in the year 1965 with the release of `Oonche Log`. It was fortunately his first major hit, but failed to attain the success he had hoped. Again, in the same year, he played a sacrificing lover in the mushy musical `Arzoo`. With this, Khan earned his entry into A-list second leads. With `Aadmi Aur Insaan` in the year 1969, Khan won his first Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1971 he appeared along with his real-life brother Sanjay Khan in the hit film `Mela`.
He produced, directed and starred in the 1975 film `Dharmatma` which was the first Indian film to be filmed in Afghanistan. It was also his first blockbuster hit as producer, director and actor. The movie `Qurbani` in the year 1980 was the biggest hit of his career and also launched the singing career of Nazia Hassan, the Pakistsani singer. In 1988 he directed and starred in `Dayavan`, which was a remake of a South Indian film titled `Nayakan`. After he directed and starred in `Yalgaar` in the year 1992, he took a long break from acting for 11 years and took to producing, directing and even editing a few films. He launched his son Fardeen Khan to the industry with the 1998 film `Prem Aggan` which was however a box office failure. He most recently produced and directed Janasheen in 2003, which starred his son Fardeen, where he also made his acting comeback. He starred with his son again in `Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena` in 2005. In 2007 he appeared in Om Shanti Om in a cameo role. He last acted in the film Welcome in 2008.
Awards Received by Feroz Khan
Indian movie actor Feroz Khan is an award winning hero who has won lot of awards in his lifetime in protagonist as well as antagonist category.
Year Award
1971 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Aadmi Aur Insaan
1971 BFJA Award for Best Supporting Actor - Aadmi Aur Insaan
1971 Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actor - Safar
1975 Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actor - International Crook
2001 Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
2004 Filmfare Nomination as Best Villain - Janasheen
2004 IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
2008 Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
2009 "Pride of the industry" at the Max Stardust Awards
Filmography of Feroz Khan
Movie Year
Didi 1960
Main Shadi Karne Chala 1962
Reporter Raju 1962
Tarzan Goes to India 1962
Bahurani 1963
Suhagan 1964
Char Dervesh 1964
Teesra Kaun 1965
Oonche Log 1965
Raat Andheri Thi 1965
Ek Sapera Ek Lootera 1965
Arzoo 1965
Tasveer 1966
Main Wohi Hoon 1966
Raat Andheri Thi 1967
Woh Koi Aur Hoga 1967
Raat Aur Din 1967
CID 909 1967
Aurat 1967
Aag 1967
Nadir Shah 1968
Pyaasi Sham 1969
Aadmi Aur Insaan 1969
Safar 1970
Mela 1971
Ek Paheli 1971
Upaasna 1971
Apradh 1972
Kashmakash 1973
Kisan Aur Bhagwan 1974
Khhotte Sikkay 1974
Geeta Mera Naam 1974
Bhagat Dhanna Jatt 1974
Anjaan Raahen 1974
International Crook 1974
Rani Aur Lalpari 1975
Kala Sona 1975
Aa Jaa Sanam 1975
Dharmatma 1975
Sharafat Chod Di Maine 1976
Qabeela 1976
Shanker shambu 1976
Nagin 1976
Jadu Tona 1977
Darinda 1977
Chunaoti 1980
Qurbani 1980
Khoon Aur Paani 1981
Kachche Heere 1982
Janbaaz 1986
Dayavan 1988
Meet Mere Man Ka 1991
Yalgaar 1992
Prem Agan 1998
Janasheen 2003
Chitappa 2005
Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena 2005
Om Shanti Om 2007
Welcome 2007
Personal Life of Feroz Khan
Feroz Khan liked sports-car races and has included this sport in Apradh and again in Janasheen. He preferred his character name to be either Rajesh or Rakesh. He was a worshipper of Bhagwan Shri Sai Baba and always wears a gold ring on his finger and has a picture close to him. He got married to Sundari in 1965 and they became proud parents of Laila and Fardeen. Despite objections raised by an Islamic Moulvi, Feroz and Sanjay got their children married to non-Islamic families. Laila got married to Rajpal, while Fardeen married Natasha Madhwani, the daughter of Mayur and former Bollywood actress Mumtaz. Sundari and Feroz have been divorced since 1985.
Feroz has kept away from controversies, though he did get himself banned by the conservative Pakistani government. He succumbed to lung cancer on 27 April 2009 at the age of 69. During his illness he returned to rest at his farmhouse in Bangalore. He was buried in Bangalore near his mother`s grave at Hosur Road Shia Kabristan.