When the late actor Amjad Khan was offered the role of Gabbar Singh in the evergreen classic Sholay, little did he know that not just the film, but his character in itself would script history. Amjad Khan became so well-known after the film that he would soon appear in commercials for Britannia Glucose biscuits as Gabbar, the first incidence of a villain being used to sell a popular product. He went on to have a successful career in Bollywood, starring in a wide array of roles, both positive and negative. However, the same success could not be replicated by his son, who had a very short-lived career in the film industry.
Amjad Khan’s son Shadaab Khan had tried his luck in the film industry. After a small role in the Arshad Warsi and Chandrachur Singh starrer Betaabi, he made his debut as a lead with negative shades in 1997’s Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat. The film was also the debut of renowned Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji. A new pair was introduced in Bollywood through this film. But the audience rejected this pair outright. The film was a huge flop at the box office and received negative reviews.
However, while Rani Mukerji continued to receive work and went on to establish herself strongly in the industry, luck did not favour Shadaab. His career continued to go downhill as he received no other offers in the lead role. He did bit parts in some big films like Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram and Abhisekh Bachchan-Kareena Kapoor’s debut movie Refugee but those roles went largely unnoticed. His last appearance was another bit part in the 2019 John Abraham starrer Romeo Akbar Walter.
While Shadaab has not had luck as an actor, he became a writer. He wrote a biography on his father Amjad Khan. This book was launched by Amitabh Bachchan. Apart from that, Shadaab has written two books: Shanti Memorial in 2013 and Murder in Bollywood, a crime novel, in 2015. He has garnered praise as a writer.
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