Feroz Khan in the Swinging Seventies, with his flashy clothes and fast cars, cowboy boots, sunglasses and sideburns, could have given even Elvis Presley a complex... such was the Pathan actor’s flamboyance and raw sex appeal.He charmed generations of women from the 1960s to, well, almost the late 2000s, starting with films like the intense Apradh and ending two years ago with the hilarious Welcome. Filmmakers reported that Feroz was always keen to continue playing the devil-may-care, sex icon he did in films like Dharmatma, Qurbani and, later, Jaanbaaz and Yalgaar.
His leading ladies, top Bollywood actresses in their time, naturally succumbed to the Killer Khan’s charm. They all said he made them look beautiful and sensuous on screen. And they said with broken hearts yesterday after hearing he had passed away to cancer at his Bangalore farmhouse, that though they couldn’t make it for his funeral, they would never forget Feroz Khan and would pray for his soul. BT got some of their reactions..
Madhuri Dixit
Oh my God! We have lost a great personality and a good human being. My prayers are with his family. Feroz Khan directed me in Dayavaan. He was a wonderful director, much ahead of his time. His style quotient in real life was highly reflected in his films. He would shoot everything with great elan and style. He would allow the actors a lot of creative license, a rare quality I must say. He was a big-hearted Pathan, and I will miss him dearly.
SriDevi
My heart is with Fardeen and his family. I know how it is to lose a father! I did Jaanbaz, one of my earlier films, with Feroz Khan. Initially I was very apprehensive, because he looked very western, and I was not so well versed with such a culture and language. But he surprised me. Throughout, he conversed with me in Tamil and made my life so easy and comfortable on the sets. I will remember him as a warm, down-to-earth man who made me look extremely beautiful!
Zeenat Aman
His death is deeply saddening. I was his leading lady and that was our primary relationship. Over the years we kept in touch and he would invite me to his premieres and film parties. He was an exceptional man! Not only debonair and charming, making girls go crazy, but a great professional too. He was so much ahead of his time, not just in terms of style, but also technically... and all his films reflect that. When I was in school, there was a strong buzz among the girls about this tall, good-looking Pathan actor. I didn’t know that someday I would work with this Killer Khan. His style expressed itself not just in his films, but also in the way he lived. It’s my privilege to have known him. And I will cherish all the good memories of my interaction with him. I can never forget that he made me look so good in Qurbani. Till date people talk about that.
Hema Malini
This is a great loss to the industry. He was not just an actor, a director and a fine human being, but a great style icon of his time. I was already seeing Dharamji then, but I must say that Feroze Khan had all the qualities for a girl to get attracted to him! There was an air of arrogance in him which was very dashing. Agar itne handsome ho toh thoda rubab hona zaroori hai. It adds to your appeal. And he had this in abundance! He had a charming, flirtatious quality, but it was limited to the sets only. With his kind of looks and personality, he would always stand out in a crowd. I haven’t seen a greater looker or western personality among today’s heroes. Even though I was known as the Dream Girl, I never looked so pretty as I did in Dharmatma, the film Feroz acted in and directed. He used to call me Reshma (my name in Dharmatma) throughout the making of the film
and even after that. After our jodi worked, we did another film, but it bombed. Never mind, he will be there in our hearts always.
Neetu Singh
I woke up with this sad news and was deeply disturbed. It’s a loss to the industry. My prayers are with his family. I worked with Feroz Khan in one of my earlier films Chunouti, which didn’t do well and nobody remembers. But our rapport was great. He was an absolutely charming man, and I have lots of fond memories of him.