Sajid Khan (1951–2023) was an Indian actor and singer. He was adopted by Bollywood film producer Mehboob Khan, who founded Mehboob Studios. Sajid became a popular celebrity in North America and the Philippines during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Sajid Mehboob was born on Friday, 28 December 1951 (age 71 years at death) in Bombay, Bombay State, India. Their zodiac sign is Capricorn. Sajid was brought up in the poor slums of Bombay, India (now Mumbai). Mehboob Khan found him when he was looking for a mischievous young actor to play the role of little Birju in his 1957 film “Mother India”. His assistant Chimankant Gandhi was not successful in finding a suitable youth. Then a martial master named ‘Douglas’ recommended Sajid for the role. Chimankant went to Sajid’s house, where he was surprised to see how intelligent and fearless young Sajid was. Mehboob Khan, who was unsure at first, chose Sajid for the younger Birju part after being attracted by his mischievous behavior and stories.
Sajid Khan’s childhood picture
Physical Appearance
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: amber
Family
parents and siblings
Indian producer and director Mehboob Khan was his foster father. Indian actress Sardar Akhtar was his foster mother.
A picture of Mehboob Khan
A picture of Sardar Akhtar
(L-R) Producer and director Mehboob Khan, his wife Sardar Akhtar and young Sajid Khan with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
wife and children
Sajid Khan divorced his first wife in 1990 and remarried. They have a son named Sameer.
relationships/affairs
Sajid Khan was in a relationship with veteran Indian actress Rekha in the late 1960s.
livelihood
movies
Sajid started acting in films in his youth. He appeared as the younger version of Sunil Dutt’s character Birju in Mehboob Khan’s Academy Award-nominated 1957 Hindi film “Mother India”. Subsequently, Mehboob Khan and his wife Sardar Akhtar raised him and named him Sajid Khan.
Sajid Khan in a scene from the film Mother India
In 1962, he was cast in the film “Son of India”, which was his father’s final project. The film flopped at the box office; However, critics praised Sajid’s performance. After his father passed away in 1964, Sajid went to America to complete his higher education.
Poster of the film ‘Son of India’
Sajid Khan and Jay North became famous in America after their roles in the 1966 film “Maya”. Due to the popularity of the film, NBC soon produced a television series of the same name which ran for eighteen episodes from September 1967 to February 1968.
Sajid Khan as ‘Raazi’ in Maya, circa (1967)
Success story of ‘Maya’ published in a newspaper
Sajid Khan with Jay North and Counsells
In the early 1970s, Sajid Khan achieved success in the Philippines by starring in romantic comedy films alongside popular actresses Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos. Some of his films during this period were “The Singing Filipina,” “My Funny Girl,” and “The Prince and I” with Nora Aunor.
Sajid Khan with Nora Aunor
However, Khan’s career began to decline in the early 1970s, and she reportedly opened a retail store in India called ‘Artistic’, which had a small workshop where costume jewelery was made.
Sajid Khan in the early 1970s
Despite several attempts to re-enter the Hindi film industry, none of his Hindi films from 1972 to 1983 were financially successful. During this period, he appeared in several films such as Mahatma and the Mad Boy (1974), Zindagi Aur Toofan (1975), Mandir Masjid (1977), and Dahanesh (1981). Although he found greater success in English films, the peak of his career was between 1966 and 1974.
Poster of the film Mandir Masjid (1977)
He last appeared in the 1983 Merchant Ivory film “Heat and Dust”, playing a brief, silent role as the “dacoit chief”.
Poster of the film ‘Heat and Dust’ (1983)
singer
Sajid Khan was not only an actor but also a singer. In 1969, he released an album of the same name and briefly pursued a career as a singer. The record included tracks such as “A Song Inside,” “Everything Is You,” “Moon River,” “I Love How You Love Me,” “This Guy’s in Love with You,” “Dream,” “Smile,” “A Were included. A Closed Heart Can’t Find Love,” “Someday,” “Ha Ram (Of Love and Peace),” as well as “Knowing You.”
Sajid Khan on the cover of his music album
Sajid’s songs gained popularity in Japan, where his American records were released. In addition, he recorded a single in Japanese for RCA Records. “Sinpi no Hosie” and “Teniha Guitar wo”, which translated to “Mysterious Star” and “A Guitar in One’s Hands”, were the names of the singles.
Sajid Khan on the cover of his Japanese music album ‘Dream Someday’
Television
In 1968, Sajid Khan appeared as a guest in an episode of the TV series “The Big Valley” and served as a guest judge on the music show “It’s Happening”.
Sajid Khan in a scene from a television serial
In 2000, he was featured in the television series “1857 Revolution”.
award
In 1969, during the 9th Annual TINA Awards, he was awarded the Best Actor Award.
From L-R – Ellen Janov (Best Actress), Bill Cowsill for The Cowsills (Best Group), Sajid (Best Actor), and Merrilee Rush (Best Female Singer)
Death
He died on 22 December 2023 in Kerala, India. He was suffering from cancer. After the death of Sajid Khan, his only son Sameer revealed that his father had settled in Kerala with his second wife and was buried in the Kayamkulam Town Juma Masjid in Alappuzha district of Kerala. Sameer said,
My father was adopted by Rajkumar Pitambar Rana and Sunita Pitambar and raised by filmmaker Mehboob Khan. He was not active in films for some time and was mostly engaged in philanthropy. He often visited Kerala and liked it here, remarried and settled here.”
Sajid Khan
Facts/General Knowledge
- In the 1960s, Sajid briefly gained fame as a “teen idol” when “Maya” made him the subject of covers and articles in major magazines in the US, France, Japan, Mexico, Germany and Thailand.
Sajid Khan on the cover of Mexican magazine
- Later, actress Rekha reportedly faced difficulties in the Indian film industry in the late 1960s because she was a South Indian, with good English but no proficiency in Hindi. Subsequently, he transitioned to English-language TV series and films with Indian themes such as “Jungle Book” and “Maya”. She approached Sajid Khan, who was producing “Maya”, and requested for roles in international films. He tried, but failed to get him a small role. However, in 1970, Rekha debuted in the Bollywood film Sawan Bhadon, which was a hit and launched her career in Bollywood.
- In 1969, the U.S. Bub. (Billboard) placed their single “Getting to Know You” at number eight and “Dream” at number nineteen.
Sajid Khan singing during a live show
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn