The day Amjad Khan, the patron of villainy in Bollywood, breathed his last

Whenever we mention Bollywood films, we think of a ‘hero’ and a ‘heroine’. But there was a time when one more character was essential for a script to be complete, and that was of a ‘villain’. And when we speak the word, the first person amongst the most popular villains in Bollywood’s history that come to our minds, is Amjad Khan, who immortalised villainy when he played the legendary character of Gabbar Singh in ‘Sholay’ (1975). And today, one of the greatest villains, he left the world, in the year 1992.

The veteran actor had made his debut in films as an child artiste in ‘Nazneen’ (1951) and as an adult with ‘Hindustan Ki Kasam’ (1973). But, it was ‘Sholay’ (1975) that gave him his much needed recognition and a character that will live on forever. After the release of ‘Sholay’, the actor shot to stardom. Although the movie boasted an ensemble cast of superstars including Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan, it was Amjad’s performance that stole the thunder. (Also Check: Lesser known facts about the legendary movie ‘Sholay’)

Till today, audiences fondly remember his dialogues and mannerisms from the film. In fact, Gabbar Singh was so popular that he later appeared in advertisements endorsing Britannia Glucose Biscuits, then popularly marketed as ‘Gabbar ki asli pasand’. Further, he continued to play negative roles in many films like ‘Nastik’, ‘Satte Pe Satta’, ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’, ‘Barsaat Ki Ek Raat’, ‘Ganga Ki Saugandh’, ‘Hum Kisise Kam Nahin’, and ‘Naseeb’. But, his versatility was also seen as a performer in films like ‘Shatranj Ke Khilari’, ‘Qurbani’, ‘Yaarana’, ‘Laawaris’, that left everyone surprised.

It was in the year 1976 when the actor had met with a severe accident on the Mumbai-Goa highway that left him with broken ribs and a punctured lung. He was on his way to attend the shoot of his film ‘The Great Gambler’ when this unfortunate accident happened. Due to the serious injuries he almost slipped into a coma, but fortunately, he recovered. The drug administered during his operation caused him to gain a lot of weight, which led to further health complications.

The actor even ventured into film direction in the 1980s with films ‘Chor Police’ (1983) and ‘Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi’ (1985).

He died at a young age of 51 on July 27, 1992. There were many movies starring him which were released after his death, with the actor’s last work being ‘Sautela Bhai’ (1996).

This day will forever be remembered in the history of Indian cinema for the early loss of an artiste so talented.

Amod Pandit

Quiet, resonant, and creative, he can be seen immersed in his own world, and puts in his heart and soul into the one passion that he has, Bollywood. His line for survival? Feel happy to be a part of it.