Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 7 (ANI): Actor Shehzad Khan shared his late father and legendary actor Ajit Khan’s message for him before entering the film industry and it was simple: no shortcuts, no recommendations and just hard work which eventually became the foundation of his journey in Bollywood.
Shahzad Khan is the son of the legendary actor Ajit Khan, who worked his way up in the Hindi film industry through numerous stints in Hindi film and TV serials. Despite his family legacy, the actor said his journey was far from being handed to him on a silver platter.
While talking to ANI, actor Shehzad recalled his father’s message when he decided to enter the film industry, as he was fond of acting, stage and theatre. Despite being the son of the legendary actor, Shehzad’s acting dream was a test of perseverance for him.
“So, when I was a child, I was interested in stage programs in school and I was drawn to them because they knew my lineage (father Ajit Khan). So, since childhood, I was fond of acting. So when I thought that I was born for this and I can’t do anything else with it. I took a lot of courage and told my father that I want to become an actor and I need some help from you in this. So he gave three or four points and after that If there was someone else, that person would have gone into depression,” said Shehzad Khan.
The ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ actor revealed that his father refused to make a film for him, recommend him to anyone in the industry, or even publicly identify him as his son.
“He said, look, ‘I will not make any film for you’. I said, okay. ‘I will not recommend you anywhere’. I said, okay and ‘if possible, don’t even tell people that you are my son’. I said, okay. He said If you work hard, it will be better for you because when I came into the industry, there was no one to recommend me. So you have to struggle,” said Shehzad Khan.
The actor also revealed that his father was initially skeptical about his dream of acting and thought he would return to the comforts and luxuries he had grown up with.
“I said okay. After saying so much, I left. Now he thought that he would wear shoes for a year or six months and he would come back tired. The luxuries he had given us in life. But he forgot that if he is a Pathan, then I am also a Pathan,” said Shehzad Khan.
Shehzad made his Bollywood debut with ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ which starred Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in the lead roles. The film was directed by Mansoor Khan and was released in theatres on 1988.
The actor went on to play several comic and negative roles in Hindi films and became widely known for his portrayal of Bhalla in the 1994 cult comedy ‘Andaz Apna Apna’. The film also starred Aamir Khan and Salman Khan in the lead roles.
He also became popular among television viewers for playing Tiger in the children’s series ‘Shaka Laka Boom Boom’. His other film credits include ‘Barsaat’, ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ and ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’.
As for Shehzad’s father, Ajit Khan, the actor worked for over four decades in Bollywood industry with numerous movies under his belt. The actor attained fame with his roles in the movies including ‘Beqasoor’, ‘Nastik’, ‘Bada Bhai’, ‘Milan’, ‘Bara Dari’, and ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and ‘Naya Daur’.
The actor passed away at the age of 76. (ANI)
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