Ajit Khan

Ajit Khan was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi films. He acted in over two hundred movies over a period of almost four decades. He is also credited for starring as a lead actor in popular Bollywood movies such as Beqasoor, Nastik, Bada Bhai, Milan, Bara Dari, and later as a second lead in Mughal-e-Azam and Naya Daur. He is best known for portraying villains and gangsters in films such as Zanjeer, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, and Kalicharan. He is also remembered for his distinctive baritone voice and impressive personality. Ajit Khan was born as Hamid Ali Khan on 27 January 1922 in Golconda, near the historic fort of Golconda outside Hyderabad city. The family belonged to the Barozaiclan of Pashtuns, Ajit's ancestors having moved from Kandahar in Afghanistan to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh before settling in Hyderabad. His father was a personal driver of Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan. Ajit Khan struggled to meet people and be accepted in any film project in his initial days, and in order to feed himself, he worked as an "extra" in several films. Finally, he managed to land a leading role, and in the first couple of films, he is credited by his real name, Hamid Khan. He did not meet with much success, and on the advice of Nana Bhai Bhat, he took the name "Ajit" meaning "indomitable" as his screen-name, but his luck did not greatly improve. Although he did several films as a protagonist and became known to the public, and although his distinctive baritone voice and impressive personality brought him a fan following, his luck at the box office was not good at all. Film director K. Amarnath, who directed him in Beqasoor, suggested that the actor change his long name of Hamid Ali Khan to something shorter, and Hamid zeroed in on "Ajit". Ajit Khan's career took a turn when he started playing negative roles in films. He became famous for his dialogues and mannerisms as a villain. He often played a suave, sophisticated, and ruthless criminal mastermind. He also played comic roles in films such as Sadhu Aur Shaitaan and Teen Bahuraniyan. He was one of the most sought-after actors in the 1970s and 1980s. He worked with many prominent actors and directors of his time, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Pran, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, and Manmohan Desai. He also launched his own production house, A.G. Films, in 1974. Ajit Khan married Abida Sultana, who was the sister of the popular singer Zohrabai Ambalewali. They had two sons, Shehzad Khan and Arbaaz Ali Khan, who also became actors. Ajit Khan died of a cardiac arrest on 22 October 1998 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was 76 years old. His death was mourned by many film personalities and fans, who paid tribute to his contribution to Hindi cinema.