Culture

Bollywood Actor Feroz Khan Dies After Cancer Battle

by Rachel Nixon | April 27, 2009 at 09:46 am

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Bollywood actor and filmmaker Feroz Khan has died at the age of 69 after a year-long battle wih cancer.

Feroz Khan died at his farmhouse in the state of Karnataka and his funeral was held in state capital Bangalore on Monday.

The actor, who appeared in more than 50 films, became one of India's best-loved heroes with his role in the 1980 hit film Qurbani (Sacrifice).

His son Fardeen Khan is also a Bollywood actor and model.

Feroz Khan made his Bollywood debut as the co-star in the movie Didi in 1960 and went on to star in a number of films in the 1970s and 1980s.

Although Qurbani was the biggest hit of his career, he is also known for Dharmatma (A virtuous soul) which was inspired by the Hollywood film, The Godfather.

Some of his other hit films include Jaanbaaz (Brave heart) and Dayavan (Kind-hearted).

The last film he acted in was Welcome in 2007.

Feroz Khan's brother Sanjay said it had been his last wish to spend his last days in his farmhouse.

"He loved his dogs in the farmhouse and was extremely possessive of them," Sanjay Khan said.

"He always believed in giving the best and made films with a westernized outlook," he added. "He always believed in hard work and never gave up despite facing bottlenecks. His creativity levels always remained at the top. He made sustained efforts to make huge films with the best artists and technicians in the industry."

"Feroz Khan's contribution to the Indian film industry is huge and the film industry has suffered a big loss," said his nephew Zayed Khan [Images]. Khan is Sanjay Khan's son. "He was an Indian style icon and was an inspiration to many youngsters like me."