Mazhar Khan (actor, born 1905)

Mazhar Khan
Mazhar Khan in and as Professor Waman Msc. (1938)
Born18 October 1905
Bareilly, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
Died24 September 1950(1950-09-24) (aged 44)
Bombay, Bombay State, India
Occupation(s)Actor, producer, director
Years active1926–1950

Mazhar Khan (18 October 1905 – 24 September 1950) was an actor, producer, and director in Indian Cinema.[1][2] He began his career as a police officer, which he left to study law for a short period. After abandoning his studies, he came to Bombay and started his career in cinema with the silent film Fatal Garland (1928) opposite the top actress of the time, Ermeline. He became a popular actor, gaining success in several silent films. During his stint in silent films he worked with directors such as Bhagwati Prasad Mishra, Ezra Mir, Moti P. Bhagnani, R. S. Chowdhary, and M. D. Bhavnani.[3] Magazines in the 1940s compared Khan to Hollywood actors such as Paul Muni, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.[4]

Khan transitioned to talkies with the end of the Silent Era. Nurjehan (1931), directed by Ezra Mir, was his first talkie picture. It received a positive response from the audiences establishing Khan as a profitable and dependable actor. He went on to work with the East India Film Company in Calcutta and Sagar Movietone, making films like Sultana, Night Bird, Salima and Sonhera Sansar. He then moved back to Bombay and worked under Ranjit Movietone. Having established himself in the different roles, he became renowned for his character depictions while also being respected in the film industry.[5]

He formed his own production company, Asiatic Pictures, under which he made Yaad (1942), starring Veena, and Pehli Nazar (1945), starring Munawwar Sultana. The latter film was considered his directorial triumph in his obituary. His last role was in Usha Kiron (1952).[3]

  1. ^ S. Lal (1 January 2008). 50 Magnificent Indians Of The 20Th Century. Jaico Publishing House. pp. 275–. ISBN 978-81-7992-698-7. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  2. ^ Ashok Raj (1 November 2009). "3-K.L. Saigal and other Heroes". Hero Vol.1. Hay House, Inc. pp. 46–. ISBN 978-93-81398-02-9. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Mazhar Khan-The passing away of a great actor" (PDF). The Motion Picture Magazine. 14 (11). November 1950. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  4. ^ Neepa Majumdar (1 October 2010). Wanted Cultured Ladies Only!: Female Stardom and Cinema in India, 1930s-1950s. University of Illinois Press. pp. 224–. ISBN 978-0-252-09178-0. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  5. ^ Patel, Baburao Zabak (June 1941). "Once Unknown But Today-Mazhar". Filmindia. 7 (6): 55. Retrieved 17 November 2016.