Would it be fair to describe Feroz Khan as the Clint Eastwood of Mumbai cinema? He was certainly the first Indian star to play a brooding cowboy in a series of films in the mid-70s. Curry Westerns like Kala Sona and didn’t quite make this Khan a craze in his days. But he was nothing if not a trendsetter. Westernized trim and flamboyantly macho Feroz Khan came at a time when heroes were moony-eyed, flabby, and 40-ish. This Khan didn’t spend hours in the gym. But he sure knew how to flex his biceps on screen.
His broad machismo earned Khan a staunch fan following. The urbanized Indian loved to watch Khan play the stud in self-directed flicks like Apradh, Qurbani and Janbaaz where he drove the slickest cars, bedded the most beautiful women and visited the most swanky sights in the world.
Feroz Khan was the first dude with an attitude. His new-age looks and appearance challenged the supremacy of many of the established matinee idols. Ramanand Sagar’s Arzoo was Rajendra Kumar’s film. But it was Feroz Khan who got noticed in the Other Man’s role. Likewise, in Asit Sen’s Safar, the Khan walked away with the Filmfare trophy from right under Rajesh Khanna’s author-backed nose.
The Khan started his career as a body double in films like Didi and Zamana in the 50s. His first film as a leading man was Reporter Raju in 1962. In this film, Khan played a journalist. He had no formal training in acting and would constantly worry about whether he was getting the camera angles and facial expressions right. But the devastatingly good looks soon earned him the label of Killer Khan.
The lady-killer reputation was carried further by Feroz’s brothers Sanjay (Abbas), Akbar and Sameer Khan. But none of the Khans could match Feroz’s arrogant swagger and a thunderous appeal. It’s said that the leading men of his times felt threatened by Feroz’s overpowering personality. The wild reputation of the hunting, womanizing, drinking, and binging Khan was a tad exaggerated. It damaged his reputation in the film industry.
Feroz Khan admitted that the going was rough for him. He lost many prized roles because of his non-conformist reputation. Khan was seriously considered for Rajendra Kumar’s role in Raj Kapoor’s Sangam and Manoj Kumar’s role in Aadmi. After constantly losing out on plum roles, Feroz Khan made the wisest career move.
He began to produce and direct his own films.
Beginning with Apradh in 1972, Feroz established a reputation for high-voltage slick actioners like Dharmatma, Qurbani, and Janbaaz. Luck ran out for the stylish celluloid creator when his later works Dayaavan, Yalgaar, and Prem Aggan bombed at the box office.
Feroz Khan was busy planning his next venture with his son Fardeen, Ajay Devgan, and Aishwarya Rai in the lead when death diverted his dream. The film is said to be set in the film industry. The stakes were always high in Khan’s films. In his Qurbani, a brand new Mercedes was smashed to smithereens because the script demanded it. Cinema history would judge Feroz Khan as an interesting hyphen. He served as a bridge between the old guard and the “now” generation of heroes, including his own son, Fardeen Khan.
