Fardeen Khan

Fardeen Khan (born 8 March 1974) is an Indian actor who mainly works in Hindi films. Born to actor and film producer Feroz Khan, he is part of the Khan family. He made his acting debut in the film Prem Aggan (1998), for which he won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

Khan went onto star in the films Jungle (2000), Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), Bhoot (2003), Dev (2004), No Entry (2005), and All the Best (2009). After this, his career declined, with several critical and commercial failures. After appearing in Dulha Mil Gaya in 2010, he took a break from acting. He returned with a supporting role in the period drama series Heeramandi in 2024.

Early life and education
Fardeen Khan was born on 8 March 1974 in Mumbai. He is the son of Bollywood actor, director, and producer Feroz Khan. Through his father, he is of mixed Pashtun and Persian descent, while his mother is Sindhi. Khan is the nephew of actors Sanjay Khan and Akbar Khan and the cousin of fashion designer Suzanne Khan and actor Zayed Khan.

After graduating in business management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Khan returned to India to pursue a career in film and trained in acting at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute.

Early work (1998–2003)
Khan made his acting debut in 1998 with a leading role in the romance film Prem Aggan, which garnered him the Filmfare Best Debut Award. He then starred in the survival thriller Jungle, in 2000. Rediff.com wrote, "Fardeen redeems himself, after the disaster that was Prem Aggan."

His career marked a turning point after he received critical recognition for the 2001 romantic thriller Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya. Screen magazine noted, "Fardeen Khan as the happy-go-lucky photographer, is pleasing on the eye, light footed and comfortable with the part." His other films of the year were the crime comedy Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega and the romantic drama Hum Ho Gaye Aapke, both box office failures.

Khan had three releases in 2002: The romance Kitne Door Kitne Paas was a failure, while the romance drama Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein and the family drama Om Jai Jagadish received mixed responses. For the former, Planet Bollywood stated, "Fardeen comes out a winner with a decent performance. He's obviously put in some effort into his performance." For the latter, Rediff.com said, "Fardeen looks good and smiles sweetly whenever the camera zooms onto his face. But he needs to learn there is more to playing a part than just looking good." Khan again had three releases in 2003. The romantic comedy Khushi and the romantic thriller Janasheen both failed at the box office. For Khushi, Bollywood Hungama praised his performance and noted, "Fardeen Khan's performance is a revelation. The actor not only looks smashing, but does an equally smashing job in emotional sequences mainly, which were his weak points earlier." The supernatural horror Bhoot was his only successful film that year. Film critic Taran Adarsh wrote, "Fardeen Khan registers an impact in a small but significant role."

Career progression (2004–2009)
Khan received critical acclaim for both his films in 2004. In Dev, he played a misguided law graduate. Bollywood Hungama noted, "Fardeen Khan springs a surprise by enacting a difficult role with flourish. His scenes with the two veterans are proof enough that the youngster has evolved into a fine actor." Rediff.com wrote, "Fardeen portrays the transformation of the innocent but troubled youngster to jihadi sharpshooter with conviction." He next played a hacker and thief in Fida. Rediff.com stated, "Fardeen is his usual suave self."

Khan had his career's highest grosser in 2005, with No Entry, which became the highest-grossing film of 2005. Planet Bollywood noted, "Fardeen Khan shows a great flair for comedy at his first attempt. He shares stellar situations with Anil Kapoor in the latter half of the film." He went on to appear in Heyy Babyy (2007), Life Partner (2009), and All the Best: Fun Begins (2009), among others.

Hiatus and return to acting (2010–present)
In 2010, after his last starring role, Khan took a hiatus from the movie business in order to focus on his family. In December 2020, speculation arose that he may be planning a comeback to acting after being spotted outside the office of film director Mukesh Chhabra. Chhabra later confirmed that the two were exploring opportunities and that they would begin working on a new project in 2021. Khan's comeback was confirmed when he announced having joined the cast of Akshay Kumar's Housefull 5, set to be released in 2025.

Personal life
Fardeen is married to Natasha Madhvani, daughter of actress Mumtaz. The couple has a daughter and a son.

In May 2001, Khan was arrested for attempting to buy cocaine.