LAHORE - In previous article of this series we highlighted some Muslim personalities in Bollywood from 1940s to 1980s. In this article we will discuss the careers of artistes from 1990 era to contemporary one. It is possible that some of big names of today’s era may not be mentioned in the article but it was difficult to write about all in one article. In the next series of articles we will discuss Muslim actors, playback singers, musicians, lyricists and script writers. This article is dedicated to the Khan of Bollywood.
Kadir Khan
Kader Khan is listed among senior Khans of the Bollywood. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and he is Pashtun.
He is actor as well as script and dialogue writer, as well as director. Kadir Khan has appeared in over 300 films and he entered the film industry with his debut in the 1973 film Daag in which he acted as a prosecuting attorney. Khan who graduated from Ismail Yusuf College affiliated to Bombay University, before entering the film industry taught at M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering, Mumbai as a professor of Civil Engineering.
One more feather in his cap was that he is a Hafiz-e-Quran. His most popular films are with actor Jeetendra, Feroz Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda. David Dhawan is the film director in whose films Kadir Khan was the most successful on big screen. Kadir Khan’s recent hit flicks are Tevar (2015), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Lucky: No Time for Love (2006) and Family: Ties of Blood (2006). He was awarded 2013: Sahitya Shiromani Award for his work and contributions to Hindi Film industry and Cinema while four times he was awarded with Film Fair Award for films Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Baap Numberi Beta Das Numberi, Angaar and Meri Avaaz Suno.
Shahrukh Khan
Owing to his acting, humanitarian cause, humbleness and number of other factors he is known as the King Khan. He has worked in around 80 films so far and has proved his superiority in acting skills over other actors by winning 14 times Film Fair Awards.
Khan started his career with appearances in several television series in 1980s. He made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with Deewana. Khan was known for his famous villainous roles in films Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Anjaam (1994). After that there is there is long list of romantic films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000). He touched the heights of skies with his acting as an alcoholic in Devdas (2002), and proved himself as equal actor with Dillip Kumar. After that, a NASA scientist in Swades (2004), a hockey coach in Chak De! India (2007) made his popularity soar to untouched avenues in Bollywood industry. Among his comedies include Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014). Film Ashoka (2001) recognized Shahrukh as internationally acclaimed actor. From 2004 to 2009 his hit films are Main Hoon Na, Veer Zara, Paheli, Khabi Alvida Na Kehna, On Shanti Om, Billu Barber. His film Jab Tak Hay Jan (2012) with Yash Chopra’s Films was another hit.
For his contributions to film, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, and the Government of France awarded him both the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Légion d’honneur.
Sharukh Khan still is the face of Indian Cinema, and he has still a lot of skills to contribute in industry, which he would entertain his fans for a long time.
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is one of the most beloved actors of Bollywood. He belongs to a family that has long been associated with films. His father Salim Khan is writer while brothers Arbaz Khan and Suhail Khan are actors. Salman’s began his career with a supporting role in Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988) and achieved breakthrough with a leading role in his next romantic film romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). Khan established himself in Bollywood in the 1990s with roles in romantic film Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), action thriller Karan Arjun (1995), and the comedy Biwi No.1 (1999). For his role in romantic genre film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Khan was awarded the Film Fare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2000s, Khan achieved greater stardom in the 2010s by playing the lead role in several successful action films, including Dabangg (2010), Bodyguard (2011), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Kick (2014) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015).
To judge his popularity on TV, Dus Ka Dum and Big Boss are few popular TV shows of Salman.
Salman apparently seems to have a cool and calm personality but he has been associated with many controversies.
On 28 September 2002, he was arrested for rash and negligent driving after his car ran into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the mishap, but after long judicial trial he was acquitted from the case. His affair with Ashwariya Rai was also talk of the town which culminated with not so good memories. Salman Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting the Chinkara, an endangered species but again the order was made null and void by the Indian Supreme Court.
Salman’s remarks in an interview on 26/11 attacks got a lot of attention because the star said the “elite” were targeted in the attacks. During the interview the actor had said, “It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five star hotels and stuff. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much.” Salman also said that Pakistan was not to be blamed for it. Salman’s comments had drawn strong reactions from political parties. He later apologized for his comments.
On 25 July 2015, Salman made a number of tweets from his Twitter account in support of the 1993 Bombay bombings accused Yakub Memon. Salman said that Yakub’s brother, Tiger Memon should be hanged instead. The tweets sparked strong reactions and he was criticised in the social media and from his father, Salim Khan. Following these incidents, Salman withdrew his tweets and apologised.
He was twice awarded National Film Award, 11 times Film Fair Award. These days in India, Muslims actors are under pressure from organizations like Shiv Sena. In the name of religion they have been harassed and this process is continuing.
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is the son of the former Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan who was Nawab of Pataudi, and the actress Sharmila Tagore.
His real name is Sajid Ali Khan. He was married to actress Amrita Singh for thirteen years; they have two children together, who was successful actress of her time, but the marriage ended with a divorce in 2004. Saif Ali Khan married Kareen Kapoor in 2012.
In 1993, he won the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for Aashiq Awara. His role in 1994 in film Yeh Dillagi opposite Akshay Kumar and Kajol was much appreciated. Khan went on to star in many films but they failed at the box office, most notably with Aditya Pancholi in Surakshaa (1995), Ek Tha Raja (1996) and Hameshaa (1997).
He only had success with multi-starrer hits like Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Imtihaan (1994), Kachche Dhaage (1999) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United (1999). After some box office failures he had a hit with the film Kya Kehna (2000).
After going through several years of decline throughout the 1990s, Khan rose to prominence with his performance in Farhan Akhtar’s Dil Chahta Hai (2001). His work in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, and he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Hum Tum (2004).
Khan’s other films include Salaam Namaste (2005) and Race (2008). He also starred in critically acclaimed films such as Parineeta (2005), Being Cyrus and Omkara (2006).
In 2009, Khan came into film production with his company Illuminati Films, whose first release was Love Aaj Kal.
Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan through his career in films has established himself as the most popular and influential actor, director and film producer of Indian cinema.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, including four National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. He was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010.
Khan first appeared on screen as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). His first feature film role came with the experimental film Holi (1984), and he began a full-time acting career with a leading role in romantic/tragedy Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). His performance in the film and in the thriller Raakh (1989) earned him a Special Mention at the National Film Award ceremony. He established himself as a leading actor of Hindi cinema in the 1990s by appearing in several commercially successful films, including the romantic drama Dil (1990), the romantic Raja Hindustani (1996), for which he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and the Sarfarosh (1999).
In 2001, Khan started a production company, whose first release, Lagaan, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and earned him a National Film Award for Best Popular Film and two more Filmfare Awards, Best Actor and Best Film.
After a four-year absence from the screen, Khan came back in 2006 box-office hits Fanaa and Rang De Basanti. The following year, he made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par, a major success that gave him the Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director. Khan’s greatest commercial successes came with the thriller Ghajini (2008), the comedy-drama 3 Idiots (2009), the adventure film Dhoom 3 (2013), and the satirical film PK (2014), all of which made records for being the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all times.
Khan made a comeback in 2005 with Ketan Mehta’s Mangal Pandey: The Rising playing the title role of the real-life sepoy and martyr who helped spark the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Aamir Khan has refused to attend the ceremony in his honour where he was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London. Khan declined, saying, “It’s not important to me”.
In April 2013, he was among TIME magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. He was also given Honorary Doctorate by Maulana Azad National Urdu University for his distinguished contributions to the Indian cinema and entertainment industry.
Irfan Khan
Irfan Khan is another big name of Bollywood film industry. His full name is Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan. Khan has bagged the National Film Award for Best Actor in the 60th National Film Awards 2012, for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar. Khan has won the 2014 Asian Film Award for Best Actor, three International Indian Film Academy Awards, three Filmfare Awards, an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and various international honours. He also hosted a television show and commercials.
In art movies or parallel cinema, Irfan Khan is a very prominent name. His first hit film was Metro which was a massive hit released in 2007. His appearance in the international films included A Mighty Heart and The Darjeeling Limited proved his mettle as international actor.
As of 2015, he had appeared in more than 50 Indian films in Bollywood, and a few international films, such as Life of Pi and Jurassic World, with a featured role alongside Tom Hanks in the 2016 adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel Inferno. In September, 2015, he was appointed as the brand ambassador for “Resurgent Rajasthan”, a campaign by the state government of Rajasthan.
In 2003 to 2004 he acted in Ashvin Kumar’s short film, Road to Ladakh. After the film received rave reviews at international festivals, that same year he played the title role in the critically acclaimed Maqbool, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. His first Bollywood lead role came in 2005 with film Rog. In 2004 he won the Filmfare Best Villain Award for his role in film Haasil.
In 2014, he worked in Gunday, Piku, Xpose, Haider, and in 2016 he worked alongside Aishwarya Rai in film Jazbaa.
Fardeen Khan
Fardeen Khan is son of renowned actor Feroz Khan. He started his acting career in 1998 with film Prem Aggan, for which he got the Filmfare Best Debut Award. He then starred in successful films such as Jungle (2000), Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (2001), Bhoot (2002), Janasheen (2005), No Entry (2005), Heyy Babyy (2007), and All the Best: Fun Begins (2009). Fardeen Khan is married to Mumtaz’s daughter, Natasha Madhvani. He has one daughter.