It looks like 2019 has to begun with tears for all Bollywood fans. Last year, some of our favourite cinema legends like Sridevi, Rita Bhaduri, Shammi, Narendra Jha, Srivallabh Vyas and filmmaker Mrinal Sen had left us for their heavenly abode. And now on the dawn of 2019, another favourite Bollywood legend, Kader Khan, has passed away. He was 81. The veteran actor and scriptwriter was living in Canada with his family where he was hospitalised a couple of days earlier. He had been suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Kader Khan Health Update: Amitabh Bachchan Posts a Heartfelt Message for Co-Star, Appeals Fans To Pray for his Recovery.
Movie buffs who have grown up watching Hindi cinema of the '80s and the '90s will be familiar with the popularity of Kader Khan. He had started off writing dialogues for Rajesh Khanna in the 1971 movie Roti, before he made his acting debut in 1973. During the '80s, he was much in demand both as an actor and screenwriter, having penned some of Amitabh Bachchan's big hits during that era like Khuddaar, Sharaabi and Coolie. He then slowly moves his focus to acting only in the '90s, while penning for only a few movies, the last being the 1998 film Aunty No 1. Kader Khan Health Update: Veteran Bollywood Actor in Critical Condition, Suffers From Breathlessness.
As an actor, he had gained prominence both as a villain and later in comic roles. Kader Khan was a part of nearly every Govinda and David Dhawan movies in the '90s and gave us some absolute comical gems.
In this special feature, we look at those five incredible performances by Kader Khan that we will cherish forever!
Pataal Bhairavi
Before he transitioned into comic roles, Kader Khan was one of the underrated villains in Bollywood cinema during '70s and '80s, like this one. He was entertainingly OTT as a black magician in this garish fantasy adventure, starring Jeetendra, Sangeeta Bijlani and Satish Shah.
Hum
Kader Khan has played double roles a number of times in his career, but he has never been so good in two disparate roles in this Mukul Anand film. He is terrific both as the rule-following army major and his theatre artiste doppelganger, with a fetish for itching at the wrong time.
Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri
Kader Khan and Shakti Kapoor were quite a popular jodi during the '80s and '90s and this film plays their chemistry the best. Also starring Jackie Shroff and Farah, the pair is hilarious as the conmen father-son duo whose quirky ways of duping the gullible give the movie its many moments of hilarity.
Taqdeerwala
Ths underrated gem features some of its talented comical cast, like Kader Khan, Asrani, Shakti Kapoor and Anupam Kher's finest comedy work. Kader Khan is especially hilarious as the Yama, the God of Death, who comes to Earth to find a book and gets an unsatiable craving for 'him cream' (ice cream for us, mere mortals!).
Dulhe Raja
When it comes to jodis, how can ever forget the best comic pairing of them all, Govinda and Kader Khan? Though they have worked together in too many movies, their partnership is best exemplified in this laughathon. Dulhe Raja generates its many laughs, when both these actors, in prime form, bounce their zingers off each other.
Honourable mentions: Aankhen, Raja Babu, all those No 1 movies and lots more!
Oh damn, we will definitely miss you, dear Kader Khan! Thank you for all these lovely movies that will put a smile on our faces forever! Rest in peace!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 01, 2019 10:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).