Mazhar Khan (actor, born 1905)

Mazhar Khan (18 October 1905 – 24 September 1950) was an actor, producer, and director in Indian Cinema. 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. Magazines in the 1940s compared Khan to Hollywood actors such as Paul Muni, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

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.

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)''.

Early life
Mazhar Khan was born on 18 October 1905, at Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India. He matriculated in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and then joined the police force in Dhar State. He rose to the rank of a sub-inspector before quitting. Following his father's wishes, he studied law but soon left that to move to Bombay and pursue a career in film. His tenure with the police trained him in horse riding and other "athletic abilities", which were proved helpful to him in his cinematic career.

According to Baburao Patel of Filmindia, B. P. Mishra recognized the "potential box-office attraction" of Khan. Within a week, Khan was given a role in 1928's Haiyan No Haar (English: Fatal Garland).

Silent films
Khan's debut film, Haiyan No Haar, was directed by Bhagwati Prasad Mishra and starring Ermeline, who was called the "queen of silent films". His role as Prince Ghiasudin was widely applauded and opened him up to new roles. His other films from 1926-1931 during the silent era include Durgesh Nandini (1926), Hoor-E-Baghdad (1928), Vasl Ni Raat, Be Dhaari Talwar (1929), Ram Rahim (1930), Hamara Hindustan (1930), Sinbad the Sailor (1930), Raj Tilak (1931) and Golibar (1931). Durgesh Nandini was directed by B. P. Mishra for Sudarshan Films and starred Ermeline and Madanrai Vakil. In his initial phase, he acted the villain in stunt films produced in that era. With the trend shifting to "mythological, historical and semi-social", he performed roles that required "a touch of extra realism".

Under the Imperial Film Company, Khan acted in 1927 Gamdeni Gori (English: Village Girl). It was directed by Mohan Dayaram Bhavnani (M. D. Bhavnani) and co-starred Sulochana, Madanrai Vakil and Raja Sandow. The film is stated to be a "part of Imperial's calculated and successful effort to manufacture a star image for the actress (Sulochana)". The next year, Khan acted in B. P. Mishra's Hoor-E-Baghdad. 1929 had five films starring Khan, variously directed by Mishra, Bhavnani and Altekar, with the production company remaining Imperial.

In 1930, he acted in six films five of which were for Imperial and one for Sagar Film Company. Cinema Girl, which was termed a "Modern Girl" social genre, was directed by Bhagwati Mishra for Imperial Film Company and co-starred Prithviraj Kapoor and Ermeline. It "presented a fictionalised biography of its maker". The film also marked the debut of actor Prithviraj Kapoor in a prominent role; his first film being Do Dhaari Talwar directed by Mishra.

1930s
Nurjehan (1931) was Khan's debut talkie film. It was made by the Imperial Film Company and directed by Ezra Mir. The film starred Vimala, Mubarak, Nayampally and Jilloobai alongside Khan. The music director was Joseph David. The film "established" Khan in talkies. In 1932 he acted with actor-singer K. L. Saigal and Kumar in Subah Ka Sitara produced by New Theatres Ltd., Calcutta, and directed by Premankur Atorthy. Saigal was a new entry in the film industry and had made two film prior to this.

In 1933, Khan acted in films produced by East India Film Company: Nala Damayanti was directed by B. H. Rajhans, starring Khan along with Mukhtar Begum, Krishna Chandra Dey, and Indubala. Ek Din Ka Badshah (English: King For A Day) was again directed by Rajhans and had Sabita Devi, Indubala, and Bachan as co-stars. Aurat Ka Pyar (English: A Woman's Love) was directed by A. R. Kardar and starred Gul Hamid, Mukhtar Begum, Anwaribai and Bachan. Mushtaq Ahmed composed the music and lyrics were by Agha Hashar Kashmiri, who also scripted the film.

In 1934-1935, Khan acted in several films with Chandragupta (1934) a historical directed by A. R. Kardar, becoming a commercial success at the box-office, and Kardar being termed as a "talented film-maker". The film co-starred Nazir in the title role of Chandragupta, along with Sabita Devi and Gul Hamid. The other significant films of 1933 were Sultana, Mumtaz Begum and Night Bird, all produced by East India Film Company. His four films in 1935 were Sulagto Sansar (English: Murderer) directed by G. R. Sethi, Sauteli Ma (English: Stepmother) by S. D. Kerawala, Selima by Modhu Bose, and Bidrohi (English: Freedom Fighter) by Dhirendranath Ganguly.

1936 had Khan enacting a significant role along with Gul Hamid in Baghi Sipahi, an adaptation of Cardinal Richelieu (1935). A costume action drama, it was directed by A. R. Kardar and co-starred Bimla Kumari and Lalita. In 1939, Khan acted in the film Aap Ki Marzi, directed by Sarvottam Badami, and co-starring Sabita Devi and Motilal. It was based on the Edward Buzzell directed film Paradise for Three (1938) from Erich Kastner's novel Three Men in the Snow.

1940s
In 1940, Khan played an important role in Achhut, a film made to "promote Gandhi's movement against untouchability". The cast included Motilal, Gohar Sitara Devi, and Noor Mohammed Charlie. It was produced by Chandulal Shah for his company Ranjit Studios. The premiere was attended by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In Bharosa, Khan played the role of a man who leaves his wife (Sardar Akhtar) in the care of his trusted friend (Chandra Mohan) and his wife when he has to go abroad on work. The resulting consequences form the basis of the story. The film was directed by Sohrab Modi for Minerva Movietone.

In 1941, Khan acted in Padosi, directed by V. Shantaram for his Prabhat Film Company. It was made following communal tension at the formation of Muslim League. The film showed friendly relations between the Hindus and the Muslims. To achieve a better coalition, Shantaram had Khan, a Muslim, played a Hindu character, while Gajanan Jagirdar, a Hindu, played a Muslim character. His role as Thakur garnered critical acclaim.

Akela (1941) was another box-office success of Khan's. The film was directed by Pesi Karani for producer Kikubhai Desai and co-starred Bibbo and E. Billimoria.

By January 1942, Khan had continuously worked for fourteen years in the film industry and acted in over 112 films. He directed his first film in 1942, called Meri Duniya on Hindu-Muslim unity, for National Artists, Bombay. Khan played a Sufi philosopher with Hari Shivdasani and Kaushalya in lead roles. Khan set up his production company, Asiatic Pictures the same year, with the foundation ceremony for its maiden production Yad (Yaad) performed by V. Shantaram.

Under his new banner Mazhar Art Productions, Khan made Badi Baat (1944) and Pehli Nazar in 1945. Pehli Nazar introduced Munawwar Sultana to the Indian film industry. The film was directed by Khan, with story, dialogues and lyrics by Safdar "Aah". Singer Mukesh, who made his debut as a playback singer in 1941, in Nirdosh, gained popularity from Pehli Nazar, with the song, "Dil Jalta Hai Toh Jalne De" (Let The Heart Smolder), which became "an instant hit".

Personal life and death
Khan was reported to be "a boxer, a polo player, a football champ and an all-round athlete". Khan married Bollywood actress Zeenat Aman, who was Hindu, and who did not convert to Islam after marriage; they later separated. They had two sons, Anwar and Afsar. In a 2022 interview, she said that her parents-in-law refused her entry to Khan's funeral in 1998.

Khan cited directors Ezra Mir, S. F. Hasnain, A. R. Kardar, and V. Shantaram as major inspirations.

On September 24, 1950, Khan died of kidney failure in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He was 45. Aman, his ex-wife, later claimed that he had been addicted to prescription drugs.

Filmography
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