When Producers Owed Rs 1.25 Crore To Amjad Khan And A Gangster Tried To Help His Family

Amjad Khan played the iconic character of Gabbar Singh in the cult classic Sholay. The actor had worked in over 132 films in nearly twenty years. Popular for his villainous role in Bollywood films, he was also known for helping his friends during distress. The actor died due to a heart attack in 1992. After his death, the son of Amjad Khan, Shadaab Khan, revealed that following the death of his father, the producers owed him Rs 1.25 crore but they didn’t repay the money. He further said that a Middle-East gangster offered to help the family of Amjad Khan but was refused by Shaila Khan, the actor’s wife.

Amjad Khan’s family was going through a financial crisis during the last stages of the actor’s life. They were reportedly having a hard time paying for the medical treatment. While talking to Times Of India, Shaadab Khan recalled those days and said that his father had a habit of helping people by giving them money in their difficult times.

“Producers came home and told him sob stories, promising him the keys of their homes. He saw through them but didn’t care about the money. He had even kept his money with friends and not banks. When he passed away, producers owed him Rs 1.35 crore,” said Shaadab Khan. He also added that not a lot of people came forward to pay up. A few people had taken loans from the actor and a handful of those returned it.

However, the actor never had a shortage of well-wishers and friends. Following the death of Amjad Khan, Shaadab Khan revealed a gangster from the Middle East offered to pay the whole amount which was owed by the producers to Amjad Khan. He spoke to Shaila Khan and said that he could pay the entire amount in three days. The alleged gangster spoke highly of Amjad Khan and called him a “good man”.

“My mother flatly refused, saying that her husband never took favours from the underworld. My mother put the lives of Seemab and my sister Ahlam back on track. If she hadn’t been strong at that time, we would have been on the streets. She got into the construction business,” said Shaadab.

Amjad Khan is remembered for films like Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Zamaanat, Parvarish, Mr Natwarlal, Sholay and Yaarana.