Ajit Khan (Ajit Khan, 1922-1998) was an Indian actor. He is known for his leading roles in films such as Beqasoor (1950), Nastik (1954), Marine Drive (1955) and Mehndi (1958). Ajit Khan usually plays a gang leader or a sophisticated but ruthless villain. He is credited with playing Bollywood’s most notorious villains with his fearsome voice. Ajit Khan died of cardiac arrest on October 22, 1998.
Wiki/Biography
Ajit Khan was born Hamid Ali on Friday 27 January 1922 in Golconda, Hyderabad (now Hyderabad, Telangana), British India • Hamid Ali Khan (aged 76; at time of death). His zodiac sign is Aquarius. Ajit Khan’s early education took place in Warangal. He then studied in government. Junior College, Hanamkonda, Warangal. Ajit Khan reportedly ran away from home to pursue his dream of being an actor and sold his books to Mumbai. After arriving in Mumbai, he had nowhere to live and spent the rest of his life in a cement pipe. When he was troubled to pay for the makeshift dorms, he assumed a menacing personality, physically overthrowing the thugs, and came to be known as the boss of the area. He doesn’t have to pay for cement pipes and gets free food.
actor ajit khan in his youth
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′11″
Weight (approximately): 80kg
Hair color: black
Eye Color: Black
family
Ajit Khan was born into a Deccan Muslim family. The family is part of the Pashtun Barozai clan. Ajit’s ancestors were from Kandahar, Afghanistan, and they first moved to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh and finally settled in Hyderabad.
Parents and siblings
His father Bashir Ali Khan (deceased) was a member of the Nizam’s army. His mother, Sultan Jehan Begum (deceased), was the mother of four children. Ajit Khan has two sisters and a brother named Wahid Ali Khan.
wife and children
Ajit had three marriages. His first wife, Gwen Dement, was an Anglo-Indian and a Christian, and they married after a brief romance. However, due to huge cultural differences, their marriage did not last long and they had no children. In his second marriage, Ajit married Shahida, a young lady from his community and of similar social background. Their parents arranged the marriage in the traditional Indian way. The marriage was very harmonious and lasted until Shahida’s death. They gave birth to three sons: Shahid Ali Khan, Zahid Ali Khan and Abid Ali Khan.
Ajit Khan and his sons with his second wife Shahida Shahid Ali Khan, Zahid Ali Khan, Abid Ali Khan and his grandson
Ajit’s third marriage was to Sara/Sara, in which actor Jayant (father of actor Amjad Khan) played a major role. Ajit and his third wife also have two sons named Sheikhzad Khan and Arbaaz Khan, both actors.
Ajit Khan and his third wife Sara
Religion/Religious Views
Ajit Khan followed Islam.
Profession
Movie
Ajit faced challenges in communicating with people and getting acceptance for projects. He supported himself by working as an “extra” in many movies. Eventually, he got his big break and was cast in a starring role, initially using his real name, Hamid Khan. However, he didn’t have much success. At the suggestion of Nana Bhai Bhat, he adopted the screen name “Ajit”, which means “unyielding”. Still, his luck hasn’t changed much. Although he starred in several films and was popular with audiences for his unique baritone voice and impressive personality, he did not do well at the box office. Ajit Khan started acting in films Kurukshetra (1945), Beqasoor (1950) in which he played Brij and Saiyan (1951) , and played Vijay in it.
Ajit Khan on the poster of Saiyan (1951)
As a hero, Ajit appeared in films such as Dholak (1951), in which he played the roles of Manohar, Nastik (1953), Bara-Dari (1955) and Bada Bhai (1957). There he showed commendable acting skills. However, he later took second lead roles in films like Naya Daur and Mughal-e-Azam. Ajith turns to playing the role of a villain. He played the villain for the first time in the movie “Suraj” (1966).
Ajit Khan on the poster of Suraj (1966)
Later, he appeared in films such as “Zanjeer” (1973) in which he played the role of Teja the Don and received praise for his performance; in “Yaadon Ki Baaraat” (1973) and “Kalicharan” (1976) In the movie, he delivers the iconic dialogue “Sara Shehar Mujhe”. LION Ke Naam Se Janta Hai”, showcased his talent in portraying villains.
Ajit Khan on the poster of Kalicharan (1976)
Director Prakash Mehra says Ajit Khan revolutionized Bollywood villains. Ajit believes there are too many bad guys with big mouths, so he created his brand of suave, soft-spoken bad guys. At one point in his career, he was paid more to play the villain than the hero.
die
Ajit Khan died of cardiac arrest on 22 October 1998 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Hyderabad, Telangana) at the age of 76. After bypass surgery in 1981, his health began to deteriorate and he eventually died of a fatal heart attack.
Facts / Trivia
- Ajit is very good friends with veteran actor Rajendra Kumar, and admits that he played a vital role in advising and supporting his transition to “the main villain” rather than staying on as a secondary lead. Rajendra Kumar was instrumental in securing Ajit’s first villain role in the film Suraj (1966).
Ajit Khan on the Suraj poster (1966)
- Ajit Khan has been dubbed the “Lion” of Bollywood for his intense performances of dialogue and villains.
- His most famous dialogues are “Mona Darling” and “Lilly don’t be silly”.
- Ajit Khan used to smoke a pack or two of Dunhill cigarettes a day.
Ajit Khan is enjoying a cigarette
- Ajit Khan spent the last 18 years of his life farming and reading.
- On the advice of Nana Bhai Bhat, Hamid Ali Khan decided to adopt the screen name “Ajit”, which means “unyielding”. However, despite the name change, his luck has not improved significantly. Later, K. Amarnath, the film director who worked with him in Bekasur, advised the actor to choose a shorter name. After considering various options, Hamid settled on “Ajit” as his screen name of choice.
- If the producer fails to pay Ajit Khan the full amount due, Ajit will take everything the producer has and will never follow up on the remaining amount owed.
- After his villainous role became famous, there were many parodies of the character and Ajit Khan’s acting style. His son Shehzad Khan also portrayed his father’s villainous character in a comical manner.
- Iqbal Rizvi has written a biography of Ajit Khan titled Ajit the Lion: A Biography of Ajit Khan – Legend of Indian Cinema.
Iqbal Rizvi Ajit the Lion: A Biography of Ajit Khan – Legend of Indian Cinema
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education