Firoz Khan

Bollywood heart-throb Actor, director and producer, Firoz Khan was a celebrated figure in Bollywood. A new type of rugged and steely-eyed action hero Khan made his debut as second lead in Didi (1960) after he arrived in Bombay at the age of 21. Through the early 1960-70s he made low-budget thrillers opposite starlets. He also appeared in an English-language film Tarzan Goes to India in 1962. Ooche Log, in 1965, was his first big hit. He turned to directing and his directorial debut was Apradth (1972) with high glamour and slick action. He starred in many of his films. Qurbani (1980) was the biggest hit of his career. Khan continued to make successful films like Jaanbaaz (1986) and Dayavan (1988). Khan won his first Filmfare award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969). Firoz Khan also launched the career of teenage singer Nazia Hassan into the first pop icon of India and Pakistan. Firoz Khan was born and brought up in Bangalore whose father was from Ghazni, Afghanistan, and his mother from Iran. He rebelled against his father's wish that he become a barrister and pursued a childhood dream of becoming an actor. In the 1990s he spent ever more time on his sprawling ranch in Bangalore with his beloved horses and made his last screen appearance in Welcome (2007). He was diagnosed with cancer over a year before he passed away.

Compiler: M. Nauman Khan