Despite being cinema's most iconic villain, Sholay actor struggled to pay Rs 400 after wife's childbirth. Now, his son claims Bollywood never returned Rs 1.27 crore owed to his father
Amjad Khan was one of the most celebrated actors in Hindi cinema who changed the way villains were portrayed on screen. With a career spanning more than two decades and over 130 films, he became a pop culture icon after playing the feared Gabbar Singh in Sholay. Decades after his death, his son Shadaab Khan has recently opened up about the actor’s difficult financial journey and claimed that the film industry never returned money that was owed to his father.
Bollywood owed Rs 1.27 crore to Amjad Khan, says son Shadaab
In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Shadaab revealed that the industry allegedly owed Amjad Khan Rs 1.27 crore at the time of his death in 1992. He explained that producers in those days often gave actors something called “lab letters,” which were written promises confirming pending payments for films.
According to Shadaab, after Amjad Khan passed away, the family found several such letters that together showed dues amounting to Rs 1.27 crore. He said the amount was huge for that time and claimed the family never recovered the money.
Shadaab further added that some producers had honestly informed his father about their financial struggles, and Amjad Khan chose to forgive those debts. However, he alleged that several established filmmakers who were financially stable also failed to clear their dues.
He quipped, "It’s different when you can’t pay because you were going through a difficult time. Or you didn’t have the money and you had an understanding with my father that you couldn’t pay. There were filmmakers who had told my father upfront that they couldn’t pay. And my father forgave that debt. But this money, this was due from established producers,” he said and added, “None of them came forward and gave that money that was due."
Despite the large amount involved, the Khan family reportedly never pursued the money aggressively. Shadaab explained that his mother, Shehla Khan, strongly believed they should not ask for the money after Amjad’s death because the actor himself had never demanded it during his lifetime. According to him, she trusted that life and destiny would eventually take care of the family.
He also pointed out how valuable Rs 1.27 crore was during that era. Shadaab reportedly said the amount could have easily bought several apartments in Mumbai’s upscale Pali Hill area, which remains one of the city’s most expensive neighbourhoods even today.
Amjad Khan once struggled to pay Rs 400 after wife’s childbirth
Long before becoming one of Bollywood’s biggest villains, Amjad Khan had struggled deeply in his personal life. Shadaab had earlier recalled in an interview with The Times of India that there was a time when his father could not even arrange Rs 400 to pay a hospital bill after his birth.
He shared that Amjad Khan felt embarrassed because he could not afford the payment needed to discharge his wife and newborn child from the hospital. According to Shadaab, his father avoided going to the hospital out of shame, while his mother became emotional during the difficult situation.
It was filmmaker Chetan Anand who eventually stepped in and paid the hospital bill for the family. The incident remained one of the most painful memories from the actor’s struggling years.
Ironically, the same day that Shadaab was born also turned out to be a life-changing day for Amjad Khan’s career. That was when he signed Sholay, the film that transformed him into a superstar villain overnight. The role of Gabbar Singh was initially supposed to go to Danny Denzongpa, but the actor reportedly left the project because of scheduling conflicts. Writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar then recommended Amjad Khan for the part after being impressed by his acting abilities.
Released in 1975 and directed by Ramesh Sippy, Sholay went on to become one of the most iconic films in Indian cinema history, while Amjad Khan’s Gabbar Singh remains unforgettable even today.
Bollywood owed Rs 1.27 crore to Amjad Khan, says son Shadaab
In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Shadaab revealed that the industry allegedly owed Amjad Khan Rs 1.27 crore at the time of his death in 1992. He explained that producers in those days often gave actors something called “lab letters,” which were written promises confirming pending payments for films.
According to Shadaab, after Amjad Khan passed away, the family found several such letters that together showed dues amounting to Rs 1.27 crore. He said the amount was huge for that time and claimed the family never recovered the money.
Shadaab further added that some producers had honestly informed his father about their financial struggles, and Amjad Khan chose to forgive those debts. However, he alleged that several established filmmakers who were financially stable also failed to clear their dues.
He quipped, "It’s different when you can’t pay because you were going through a difficult time. Or you didn’t have the money and you had an understanding with my father that you couldn’t pay. There were filmmakers who had told my father upfront that they couldn’t pay. And my father forgave that debt. But this money, this was due from established producers,” he said and added, “None of them came forward and gave that money that was due."
Despite the large amount involved, the Khan family reportedly never pursued the money aggressively. Shadaab explained that his mother, Shehla Khan, strongly believed they should not ask for the money after Amjad’s death because the actor himself had never demanded it during his lifetime. According to him, she trusted that life and destiny would eventually take care of the family.
He also pointed out how valuable Rs 1.27 crore was during that era. Shadaab reportedly said the amount could have easily bought several apartments in Mumbai’s upscale Pali Hill area, which remains one of the city’s most expensive neighbourhoods even today.
Amjad Khan once struggled to pay Rs 400 after wife’s childbirth
Long before becoming one of Bollywood’s biggest villains, Amjad Khan had struggled deeply in his personal life. Shadaab had earlier recalled in an interview with The Times of India that there was a time when his father could not even arrange Rs 400 to pay a hospital bill after his birth.
He shared that Amjad Khan felt embarrassed because he could not afford the payment needed to discharge his wife and newborn child from the hospital. According to Shadaab, his father avoided going to the hospital out of shame, while his mother became emotional during the difficult situation.
It was filmmaker Chetan Anand who eventually stepped in and paid the hospital bill for the family. The incident remained one of the most painful memories from the actor’s struggling years.
Ironically, the same day that Shadaab was born also turned out to be a life-changing day for Amjad Khan’s career. That was when he signed Sholay, the film that transformed him into a superstar villain overnight. The role of Gabbar Singh was initially supposed to go to Danny Denzongpa, but the actor reportedly left the project because of scheduling conflicts. Writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar then recommended Amjad Khan for the part after being impressed by his acting abilities.
Released in 1975 and directed by Ramesh Sippy, Sholay went on to become one of the most iconic films in Indian cinema history, while Amjad Khan’s Gabbar Singh remains unforgettable even today.
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