Feroz Khan

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ape Hollywood actors like Douglas Fairbanks, Tony Curtis and Clark Gable and dream of making it big in films. Even in his teens, he would be a star attraction at parties when he would stun everybody with his fashionable dress sense wearing a cowboy hat, leather boots, jeans and jackets.

Feroz Khan worked at Pool Table to survive in Mumbai When Feroz Khan came to Mumbai in the early 60’s to become a hero he had to face bitter rejections hence to make a living in Mumbai he used to work at a pool Table. When things became difficult and hopes for a hero role looked dim he accepted whatever minor roles he got in B-grade films like Didi (1960), Reporter Raju (1962, and an International film Tarzan Goes to India (1962). Interestingly his younger brother Sanjay Khan, who joined Bollywood two years later, became an instant star with his debut film Dosti. B.R.Chopra gave a new lease of life to Feroz Khan Despite famous filmmaker Phani Majumdar‘s Oonche Log (1965) opposite Ashok Kumar and Raaj Kumar and Ramanand Sagar’s Arzoo (1965) opposite superstar Rajendra Kumar, Feroz Khan was not able to make impact in Bollywood. Eventually, film legend B.R.Chopra made his life with an anti-hero role in his film Aadmi Aur Insaan opposite the dashing handsome hero Dharmendra. B.R. Chopra had initially offered the role to actor Raaj Kumar but he declined as he was committed to other films. Feroz Khan grabbed the role with open hands and pumped all his energies into the role. The result was that he delivered his career’s most powerhouse performance and won the Best Supporting Actor Filmfare award. The award boosted Feroz Khan’s reputation in Bollywood and he became a craze as a parallel hero with Sanjeev Kumar in Ek Paheli, Sunil Dutt in Geeta Mera Naam, Sanjay Khan in Mela, Dharmendra in International Crook, Rajesh Khanna in Safar etc. In fact in Safar and International Crook; Feroz Khan overpowered both Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra he was even nominated for a Filmfare award as a supporting actor in both films! Feroz Khan turned down Amitabh Bachchan’s Hera Pheri for his passion for direction In the 70’s though Feroz Khan became a famous star he was only limited as a parallel hero. He was not getting the lead hero roles which he wanted to do to prove his histrionics. In an interview, he said, “I was stereotyped as a parallel hero and this made me restless. Hence I decided to turn director and produce my film. In this gamble, I lost Prakash Mehra’s film Hera Pheri, where I was originally cast as Amitabh Bachchan’s friend. The role was played by Vinod Khanna.” Feroz Khan’s first home production under the banner of F.K. International was Apradh, a spy-action thriller featuring a famous car racing scene shot on a real car race track in Germany. Besides the movie had gorgeous Mumtaz appearing in a bikini for the first time in Bollywood, catching locales and good music like Hamare Siva Tumhare Aur Kitne Diwane Hain” and “Tum Mile Pyaar Se”, were a rage. However, the biggest hit was Helen's song E Naujawan Hai Sab Kuch Yahan… The movie was a hit and it gave Feroz Khan the confidence to move ahead, which he successfully did with movies like Dharmatma, Qurbani, Dayavan, Janbaaz, Yalgaar and Janasheen in which he introduced his son Fardeen Khan.