Remembering Amjad Khan on his birth anniversary: 4 iconic roles that made ‘Gabbar’ an inseparable part of Indian cinema

It is no secret that Amjad Khan was one of the most respected and accomplished actors in Hindi cinema and enjoyed a strong fan following for a variety of reasons. He acted in some of the biggest hits of the 70s and the 80s establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with. On Thursday, as fans remember the actor par excellence on his birth anniversary, here is a look at four iconic roles that made him an inseparable part of Indian cinema.

Sholay (1975)

Sholay, widely regarded as one of the greatest Hindi films of all time, featured Khan in the role of the ruthless Gabbar Singh and emerged as a runaway hit at the box office. The actor hit the right notes with his powerful dialogues and left fans asking for more. The film, starring Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan, was later remade by Ram Gopal Varma as Aag with Big B playing a character modelled on Gabbar. The modern adaptation, however, failed to live up to expectations.

Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)

Directed by Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Shatranj Ke Khilari was based on noted writer Munshi Premchand’s popular novel of the same name and revolved around the life of two wealthy men who are obsessed with Chess. It saw Khan act alongside the likes of Saeed Jaffrey, Sanjeev Kumar, Shabana Azmi and British filmmaker Richard Attenborough.

Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986)

The entertaining comedy Chameli Ki Shaadi was directed by ace filmmaker Basu Chatterjee and made an impact with its effective presentation. The film did decent business at the box office while receiving rave reviews from a section of the audience. The movie has attained cult status over the years.

Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)

A blockbuster in India as well as in the international market, the commercial drama featured the stellar actor in the role of a criminal named Dilawar. It received impressive reviews due to its engaging plot and impressive screenplay, attaining cult status. The biggie had a star-studded cast that was headlined by AB sr, Rekha, Rakhee and Vinod Khanna.