Feroz Khan- The Film-maker

It is assumed that Feroz Khan turned to film-making and direction only
to improve his career opportunities. But he had the talent that
reflected in his films and their concept.

His first directorial venture was Dharamatma. He produced, directed
and starred in this film. Dharmatma which was the first Indian film to
be shot in Afghanistan and was also his first blockbuster hit. This
movie was inspired by the Hollywood film The Godfather. This film's
protagonist Premnath was based on the character of Matka king Ratan
Khatri. It is said that Feroz Khan sat down with Ratan Khatri in order
to learn more about the man and understand the nuances of matka (form
of Indian gambling). The film cast included Feroz Khan, Rekha, Hema
Malini, Premnath, Danny Denzongpa, Farida Jalal, Ranjeet, Helen, Madan
Puri, Iftekhar and Dara Singh.

He directed and starred in many more films. The movie Qurbani (1980)
was the biggest hit of his career and also launched the singing career
of iconic Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan. The film starred Vinod
Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Amjad Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Aruna Irani, Amrish
Puri and Kader Khan.Feroz Khan can be credited for bringing Kader
Khan, Shakti Kapoor and Amrish Puri into the mainstream Class A
Bollywood movies by giving them exposure and critical role in the
movie. Kader Khan also wrote the dialogs for the movie.The film's
direction, urban setting, music and foreign locales, as well as
upmarket images, made it stand out when it was released.

In 1986, he directed and starred in Janbaaz which was a box office
hit. One of his best movies, with an all star cast, great songs and
excellent cinematography,the movie is primarily remembered for its
steamy scenes.

In 1988, he directed and starred in Dayavan which was a remake of a
South Indian film titled Nayagan.

After he directed and starred in Yalghaar (1992), he took a long break
from acting for 11 years and took to producing, directing and even
editing a few films.

He launched his son Fardeen Khan's career with the 1998 film Prem
Aggan which was however a box office failure.

In 2003, he produced and directed Janasheen which also starred his son
Fardeen and marked Firoz's acting comeback.

The demise of actor, director and producer Feroz Khan is a big loss to
the Indian cinema. He died on April 27th, 2009. His immense
contribution will be always remembered. He was the pride of the
bollywood.